The Avengers
Lord of the Rings
Harry Potter
What do all of these have in common?
Well, right, they are all very successful movies.
Yes, they are all celebrated works of fiction (even though comic books are not considered great literary works).
But, what I am talking about is how they all created something that transcended their original intent.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe just celebrated its 10th year. In 2008 Iron Man came out and began the adventure so many of us have enjoyed with the array of superheroes. Often though, we don’t think about the behind-the-scenes experiences the actors are having in association with the movies.
I have heard members of the MCU describe their community as a family…the MCU family. Recently, when Inifinity War came out, there were a number of interviews with different combinations of the actors as well as several videos showing them together. It was easy to see the affinity they have for one another and the camaraderie they share having gone through the experiences of making multiple successful films together.
I remember seeing the same thing in the cast of Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings in their interviews. The Lord of the Rings cast spent three straight years filming their trilogy, and in the appendices, you could see the emotions when the project was done and they were saying their goodbyes.
Now, what does this have with to do with leadership, Modern Inklings, and my relationship with you?
Everything!!!
At Modern Inklings, we are building a community of ministry leaders who are changing the way we approach ministry leadership. We believe in the mission Jesus Christ is giving us so much that we are willing to push ourselves to the edges of our leadership to advance the kingdom of God.
At the same time, we believe in the well-being of our families, the health of our bodies, and the stability of our mental faculties. We know the best way to lead those God has entrusted to us is to take care of our own well being, which is why we are changing the way we approach ministry.
How do we do that? Here are
- Respect the role each individual has in the greater plan: regardless of it is the cast of Ant-Man or Iron Man, each member understands their respective movies are playing a specific role in the telling of the larger story. Lower tier cast members on each of the movies have expressed their appreciation to just have been part of the MCU. They understood the larger story was more important than their own part. In the same way, if we have a large church, small church, city church, rural church, yellow church or red church, we are all playing a role in the advancement of God’s Kingdom. When we value the role we play and the role other ministry leaders play, then the politics and minor squabbles go by the wayside.
- Success is amplified as others are successful: By being part of the MCU, every franchise has its value increased. Since fans are bought into the larger story of the MCU, then every franchise has greater value. Even if you are a huge fan of Iron Man, but not so much of Thor, you are likely going to watch the movies from the Thor trilogy just to keep in step with the larger storyline. In the same way, as any one of us is successful as ministry leaders, the rest of us are successful. Too often we are focused on the wrong things…attendance and tithing. Though these are important, they are not the end goal. The end goal is the advancement of the Kingdom of God, and whenever a ministry leader and a church can make a positive impact in the communities, it helps the general population have a positive perspective on the church, ministry leaders, and Jesus. If we are too focused on our own kingdoms, then we slow the advancement of the Kingdom.
- Strive together rather than struggle apart: One of the points of success for the MCU is the idea of having all these superheroes, and all the actors, working together. It may be one of the primary draws of the MCU movies. At any point, anyone could make an appearance in any movie. Since they are pooling their resources, their talents, and their expertise, they are all learning from one another, pulling from each other’s strengths and overcoming one another’s weaknesses together. One of the greatest epidemics I have seen in the health of ministry leaders is the lack of intentional collaboration. Too often we serve in isolation and when we do spend time with one another, we gloss over our achievements and victories but bypass our struggles. What would happen if ministry leaders worried more about helping each other and collaborating together rather than comparing and posturing? I think our communities and the Kingdom of God pay the price.
You may not be a movie fan, or an MCU fan, which I just shake my head at, but that’s okay because we are building bridges here. But seriously.
As ministry leaders, what we can learn from the MCU transcends our movie affinities. We need one another, and I want to provide a community where we can come together, learn from each other, and make a difference in our communities together.
I don’t have to be in your community to champion what you are doing and lend a helping hand. If I can give you some insight, a tool to increase your effectiveness, pray for your next big event, or just be a listening ear for you, then I want to be. I think that many of us want that and are willing to be there for others. But I don’t think we are good at asking.
This is why I want to invite you to be part of the Modern Inklings community. Be part of something that is changing the landscape of ministry leadership. Lend your voice to something that will have an impact throughout eternity.
Come be a part of a community where you can get great ideas, share your challenges, collectively innovate new ministry approaches, and get high-level training to advance your leadership.
Together we can gain influence in our communities, our country, and our global village.
Right now, I am putting a new tool I adapted into the hands of everyone who joinsModern Inklings. The Ministry Value Canvas is a tool that will allow 
you to assess how effective your ministries are at reaching your community while also giving you the opportunity to innovate new ideas and approaches to your ministry. It is simple to use and can be reused as many times as you need. (Here is a post on how to use the Ministry Value Canvas.)
My goal is to serve you, learn from you, and advance God’s Kingdom effectively. I would love it if you joined me by clicking here.
Until next time…go check out an MCU movie this week. Start with Captain America, because it is the first one…and he is the best one!
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