Randy Wray's Blog

For an upcoming leadership retreat we were asked to read the book The Way of The Shepherd (Leman & Pentak).  It’s a fast (really fast) read. So much so (I struggled with the literary style) it seems made up.  Which brings to mind . . .  Does a fictional narrative have the same power to tell truth as a non-fictional narrrative?

I mean, how do I explain this . . . the power of what is being taught is swallowed up in the schmaltz and syrup of the narrative.  I must be over thinking . . .

Anyhoo, the seven timeless principles of management are:

1. Know the Condition of Your Flock

• Follow the status of your people as well as the status of the work.
• Get to know your flock, one person at a time.
• Engage your people on a regular basis.
• Keep your eyes and ears open, question, and follow through.

2. Discover the Shape of your Sheep

• Your choice of people can make flock management easier or harder.
• Start with healthy people, or you’ll inherit someone else’s problem.
• Know the SHAPE of your people to make sure they’re in the right fold.

3. Help Your Sheep Identify with You

• Build trust with your followers by modeling authenticity, integrity, and compassion.
• Set high standards of performance.
• Engage your people on a regular basis.
• Relentlessly communicate your values and sense of mission.
• Define the cause for your people and tell them where they fit in.
• Remember that great leadership isn’t just professional; it’s personal.

4. Make Your Pasture a Safe Place

• Keep your people well informed.
• Infuse every position with importance.
• Cull chronic instigators from the flock.
• Regularly rotate your people to fresh pastures.
• Reassure your people by staying visible.
• Don’t give problems time to fester.

5. The Staff of Direction

• Know where you’re going, get out in front, and keep your flock on the move.
• When directing, use persuasion rather than coercion.
• Give your people freedom of movement, but make sure they know where the fence line is.
• Don’t confuse boundaries with bridles.
• When your people get in trouble, go and get them out.
• Remind your people that failure isn’t fatal.

6. The Rod of Correction

• Protect: Stand in the gap and fight for your people.
• Correct: Approach discipline as a teaching opportunity.
• Inspect: Regularly inquire about your people’s progress.

7. The Heart of the Shepherd

• Great leadership is a lifestyle, not a technique.
• Every day you have to decide who’s going to pay for your leadership – you or your people.
• Most of all, have a heart for your people.

I know there’s useful truth in this.  I just need to get over the style to absorb the substance.

One more and then I will shut up about the teaching thing . . . and again I know it’s different if you are a regular or a temp . . .

When I started the assignment the students were grumbling about the amount of work we were doing.

At the end of the assignment they wanted to keep going and learn more.

Not all of them, of course, but the overwhelming majority.

In spite of the chatter, my observation is that most students want to be challenged and respond positively to achievable educational expectations.

So much for feel good education.

I actually miss not going into the classroom today . . .

I’m not sure I could say enough good things about Cecil and Steve and Peggy (our drummer Jim and others we all know) who truly work on the front lines of ministry in a much needed way.

My brief time in the classroom of a large high school has given me great appreciation for those of you in the field of education who by your expertise and your walk with Christ are making a difference in many tangible ways.

I’m not against Christian Schools – they can serve in a unique way.  But I do know this . . . If we pull all the Christ followers out of the schools (teachers, students and staff) and hide behind our walls we’ve given up significant, precious ground to the god of this world.

Here are my message notes from Sunday:

The Road You Choose Makes A Difference
Matthew 7:13-14

CONSIDER YOUR OPTIONS

• Perhaps never before have we seen the importance and the impact of CHOICES.
• One of the most important choices you will ever make in your life  pertains to your SALVATION.

THE ROAD YOU CHOOSE MAKES A DIFFERENCE

• It is a lot easier to ARRIVE at your intended destination when you are on the right road.
• If you want to go to HEAVEN, you need to be on the right road.

Matthew 7:13-14 (NCV)  “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

• This text is not a proof text to support a specific church MOVEMENT.
• This text is not a proof text to support INDIVIDUAL ways of thinking. (My way or the highway)
• This text teaches us that the road to salvation is not marked by EXTERNAL requirements but by INTERNAL transformation.

THE WISE CHOICE

• Jesus is the gate (the way) that leads to salvation.
• Jesus is the road (the path) that leads to salvation.

THE MOMENT OF DECISION

• There are many here who have made the choice to TRUST Jesus alone for their salvation.
• There are still those who are TRYING to do it themselves.
• There are even those who have not yet made the DECISION to follow Jesus Christ.

The campus of LHS is built around the great outdoors or the idea that it seldom rains in this part of California.

There are lunch carts around campus so students who purchase lunch have convenient access.

There is a “cafeteria” but that of course is for freshman and others who don’t realize that it is uncool to eat in the cafeteria.

Speaking of uncool – it’s been fun being told (by the kids- especially the daughter) what words to not use in class.

Come on, I still think we can bring back “keen”!

Students will look for teachers who allow them to eat lunch in the classroom and my classroom has been one of those areas.

The teacher I sub for is the kind of teacher who would allow this and thus takes teaching from cognitive instruction to affective instruction.

This has been a part of the day I look forward to because the guard is down and the kids talk about life.  It’s been good to sit at my desk and observe.

Today I give a test to three of the Spanish 2 classes.

I’ve been preparing them since last Thursday to take this test and find myself wanting them to do really well.

LHS has strict code procedures for cheating and other such activity during tests.

A bridge I hope we won’t have to cross tomorrow.

There’s always that one student (or two) who think the temp is a moron.

La esposa frequently orders boxes and packaging material to ship work related items.

Her workplace has an account through Fedex.

She ordered her Fedex boxes last week and they were delivered today.

Want to guess who delivered the Fedex boxes?

If you said UPS, give yourself 10 points.

Kind of like ordering a pizza from Domino’s and they deliver something from Pizza Hut.

Kind of like . . .

If we still lived in Arlington the girls would be down on the mall braving the crowd.

If we still lived there the boys would stay at home and bravely watch the television.

They like being in the crowd.  We prefer watching the crowd.

Can’t we all just get along?

Yes we can!

Well it will be with the utmost of restraint that I don’t follow through with some excellent suggestions from l.marie.d!

Feedback from the first day from the daughter was that I talk too loud.

Really?  Me?  Talk too loud?  Tell me something I don’t know.

I like to announce my presence with authority.

Taking a page from the playbook of Dr. Willis at ACU I designated Friday as cookie day.  Yes, I bought cookies for every class and it was well received.

Since I will be there next Friday I’ll bring more cookies.

Funny how such a small thing is such a big thing to high schoolers.

Today was my first day of an 8 school day sub rotation for high school Spanish.

The daughter woke up and told her mother it was going to be the worst day of her life.

Not only did she get braces this morning (ouch) her dad is her Spanish teacher for the next 8 school days!