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Why do leaders miss the matchless thumb-print of their identity in the local expression of Christ's body?

I see six common hazards that stand out across the landscape of church life. Because all of them affect thinking, I call them "thinkholes." A thinkhole represents the quicksand-like dynamic where, at certain times and places, vibrant thinking gets sucked beneath the surface to suffocate and disappear from view. Along the great race of leadership, thinkholes are the obstacles, barri-ers, and danger zones that keep us from thoughtful self-knowledge.

1. Ministry treadmills. The treadmill is set in motion when the busyness of ministry creates a progressively irreversible hurriedness in the leader's life. The sheer imme-diacy of each next event or ministry demand prevents the leader from taking the time required for discerning the culture and defining the DNA of the church.

The need to hit the brakes on the ministry treadmill is highlighted by George Barna in the updated edition of his hook The Power of Vision. He states that for success in visioning, "the process necessarily extracts a significant cost from the vision seekers. Devotion to the process of discovering the vision is the most important component of all the activities associated with God's vision" (italics mine). His word choice is telling; most leaders are not willing to extract the significant cost of time. Today's demands can choke out needed dialogue for tomorrow. When this occurs, our multiplied activity prevents us from living with a clearer identity.

2. Competency trap. As ministry leaders experience success over time, that very success can become a liability. The gold medals of yesterday's accomplishments become the iron teeth around the leader's ankle. A subtle presumption develops ("I know how to do this thing") that eclipses active listening and reflective observation—important habits required to discern a church's DNA.

The next time you are in a learning environment, notice who is tak-ing notes and asking questions. It is not uncommon that the most accomplished people in the room are the least receptive to new learning. This is why young leaders often intuit culture so well; they have less of an experience base to pollute their perceptions and assumptions about what works.

3. Needs-based slippery slope. Here, leaders are constantly trying to meet people's needs and expectations within the church. Whether the needs ring of religious consumerism or are legitimate concerns of life and death, the slippery slope works the same. There is always a persistent parade of needs to be answered. The vision of the church is reduced to making people happy. The reality is that such a church is probably missing out on fulfilling its unique calling and role in the community by trying to be all things to all members. Sliding down the needs-based slope is perhaps the most "spiritual" way of avoiding the hard work of self-discovery.

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