When I meet someone, I often wonder who can this person benefit from knowing and who can benefit from knowing this person? Because of this obsession, I have a great network of incredible leaders. People often ask how I do it so here are four thoughts on connecting with people.

1. Learn more than you teach
I remember hosting the great mentor, Earl Creps, at The Oaks. A couple of us took him to IHOP after the service to spend some time with the wise one and learn from his vast knowledge. Instead, we found ourselves answering his questions and teaching him about technology. Earl learned how to send a text message. He later went onto write “Reverse Mentoring”. The best leaders learn all they can from others.

2. Listen more than you talk
Nate Ruch is one of my spiritual fathers. As I was about to finish my sophomore year at NCU, I was planned on leaving my role as a small group leader to travel the country with an evangelist. Nate met with me in the school cafeteria and I will never forget this meeting. I spent 30 minutes spilling my guts and it took him 5 minutes to speak deep wisdom into my life. Nate, a great leader, knew the importance of listening.

3. Add more than you take
Over the years Dr. Sam Chand has become a great friend. The most important thing he has taught me is that the connections God has given you are for sharing, not hoarding. Earlier this year Sam introduced me to William Vanderbloemen, a fellow church staff consultant, in a simple email and then let the connection grow from there. Today William is a great friend and incredible resource for HelpStaff Me.

4. Care more than you are cared for
Scott Wilson has been The Oaks’ senior pastor for nine years. Every time I bring a visiting leader by, Scott makes them feel welcome and makes his every possible resource available to them. I love watching this. From the Chief of Staff for Saddleback Church to the youth pastor of a small congregation, Scott brings them into his office and gives them everything he can. Leaders care for others above and beyond what is expected.

The business of connecting isn’t as difficult as we make it. Reach out. Look beyond yourself. You’ll be surprised how much can happen.

To be continued…

HelpStaff.me has been retained to assist Eastlake Church, a church of 5,000 in San Diego, California, in the search for an Assistant Worship Pastor.

EastLake is a dynamic, high-impact church in the shorts and flip-flop wearing culture of Southern California. This church, led by Pastor Mike Meeks, desires that people come as they are, grow spiritually, build friendships, and make a difference locally and globally. They like to hire smart, self-motivated people. The leadership style is goal driven. Amongst teams, there are two attributes that describe their staff, trustworthy and loyal. EastLake is experiencing exponential growth leading to the launch of their second site last year along with an online campus. A third physical campus will be launched in the fall of 2011.

The Worship Department is looking for a worship leader who is proficient both vocally and on guitar to lead the congregation and band. This role will encompass worship leadership at various campuses, both live and in broadcast venues. Other needs include the ability to recruit, train and pastor teams of volunteers and to execute technical and musical aspects of the services. This worship leader will serve as a member of the broader Worship Ministry team, contributing to the creative development and planning of unforgettable and creative weekend services.

Check out eastlakechurch.com for more info about the church. To get an idea of what worship is like there, check out this video of the current worship pastor, Marcus Jones, leading a song he wrote called “You Reign”

You Reign from EastLake Church on Vimeo.

You also can see other videos that the church has done on their Vimeo site: vimeo.com/eastlakechurch

Interested applicants can apply for a position at www.helpstaff.me. All correspondence is treated with the highest confidentiality.

Help Staff Me is a retained executive search firm that helps churches and ministries find their key staff. Finding the right fit for your organization is what we do best. Should your church need assistance with the search for a new staff member, feel free to contact us.