At age 30, he was asked to lead a church of 6000.
At age 34, he was asked to lead North Point Community Church, a campus with 14,000 attenders, where Andy Stanley is the Senior Pastor.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Clay Scroggins about the challenges of leading when you’re young, and how he’s navigating senior leadership at North Point Church in Atlanta.
Welcome to Episode 35 of the Podcast.
Guest Links: Clay Scroggins
Links Mentioned in this Episode
Nate Bargatze; Nate Bargatze on Jimmy Fallon
John Piper; Sermons ( also on iTunes)
When Family and Work Collide by Andy Stanley
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
3 Things You Can Do Right Away
If you’re a young leader or new to leadership, you may struggle with your identity. Just like with any transition in life, you don’t have to be a different person, you don’t have to please everyone and you don’t have to be perfect. Clay guides us through his transition into senior leadership and gives some great advice about his experience.
- Have fun! Not every moment in ministry has to be serious. “My biggest concern when going into leadership was being surrounded by boring Christians,” Clay says. Having fun gives your church an escape and allows God to raise others out of trouble and anxiety. If you’re going to talk about the grace and love of Jesus, you should have a good time doing it. Humor is a great way to lead into a serious discussion. It gets others relaxed about the conversation and makes the atmosphere more inviting. Clay says he tries to be a better preacher by listening to comedians because they know how to tell great stories and hold people’s attention.
- Maintain authenticity. At 34, Clay borders on being a Gen-Xer and a Millennial, so he naturally places a high value on those who are genuine, an essential trait he maintains in his leadership. In the beginning, he says that there was a temptation to make it seem like he had all the answers, but he regrets not asking for more help. He knew that there was a pressure to perform well, and he was surrounded by doubt. “My intuition was to figure it out and make everyone think I had it together.” Allow yourself to be vulnerable, ignore patronizing comparisons and don’t feel pressured to be anyone other than yourself.
- Don’t allow intimidation to distract you. As a young leader, Clay felt he was missing a secret wisdom that came with age, but he learned that each stage in life incurs an understanding that’s unique to each person. “I thought that since I wasn’t of age, I was missing the wisdom … It was an unnecessary intimidation.” You don’t have to lead with someone else’s life story. Find confidence in what God has called you to do.
Quotes from Clay
CNLP 035: Leading Young At North Point—An Interview with Clay Scroggins Click To Tweet CNLP 035: Leading Young At North Point—An Interview with Clay Scroggins Click To Tweet CNLP 035: Leading Young At North Point—An Interview with Clay Scroggins Click To Tweet CNLP 035: Leading Young At North Point—An Interview with Clay Scroggins Click To TweetA New Episode Every Week…Just Subscribe
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Next Episode: Thom Rainer
What are the signs your church might die? Why are so many churches dying? In this episode, blogger, podcaster and Lifeway CEO Thom Rainer outlines why so many churches fail to thrive.
Subscribe for free now, and you won’t miss Episode 36.
