I asked our staff to share the most important leadership lesson they’ve learned since Elevate launched…Here’s what they had to say:

Dave Behnke – Executive Pastor of Operations
“Don’t put God in a box” – we’ve all heard it and even though we know we shouldn’t, at some level we consistently still try to reduce the way God can work down to what we can understand.  But if we’re guilty of putting God in a box, we’re as equally guilty of putting people in a box. We label them so they fit our preconceived ideas when really we should believe that the Scripture about being able to do all things through Christ applies to them too.  Since Elevate has launched, God is blowing away the boxes I tend to put both Him and others into.

Aaron Davis – Executive Pastor of Strategic Initiatives
One thing nurtured in the leadership culture of Elevate is knowing who you are as a leader and thriving within the role, gifts & personality God has graciously given each of us. Knowing the limits of our God-given gifts, authority & strengths actually helps us focus on our function within the team. I’m learning to embrace and celebrate who God created me (and my team-mates) to be.

Ryan Throop – Community Pastor
The pace of things at a church plant will bring some previously unseen things in your life to the surface and one of the quickest ways to expose your weaknesses is to rely on your own strength. At Elevate, we’re caught up in something amazing God is doing and things move fast. If you’re not relying on God’s power to strengthen you in every way, it becomes apparent very quickly.

Ryan Minton – Creative Arts Director
An important aspect of expecting God to do great things in your midst means taking action toward things you know to do. At Elevate we talk about the principle of Readiness – preparing for what God is about to do – but that principle begins with taking initiative. Prayer, spiritual development & practical preparation are all basic must haves, but there is no substitute for taking initiative.