Date: 9/19/2007
<br>Author: Devin Pickard
<br>Title: September 19, 2007
<br><br>The successful ones all have them.....Super Bowl winners, Fortune 500 businesses, thriving cities, superlative schools and backyard whiffle-ball teams.  All of the above are LEAD to achieve a certain measure of excellence;  it doesn’t just happen.  Show me a successful group of people in almost any arena of life and I will show you a group of folks with an efficient, goal oriented leader with vision.  Good leaders have the ability to look beyond the here and now and see the there and then.  Good leaders are not satisfied with the status-quo.  Good leaders recognize that different people must be motivated in different ways while still striving for the same prize.  Good leaders take responsibility for things that go wrong and shower praise on others when things go right.  Good leaders realize that it is all about the “we”, not about the “me”.  <br><br>The Lord’s Church is no different than any of the above groups.  Show me a growing Church and there is a chance it has great leadership.  Show me a Church that is excited about the Lord’s work and I will show you a group of leaders who the Church members are imitating.  The Lord’s Church is the length and shadow of those who are leading her....good, bad or indifferent.    <br><br>On September 16, 2007, the Fairfield Church of Christ began a new era.  Marvin Truett, Mike Batts, Wayne Baker and Wallace Smith were officially installed as new elders joining Lafayette Spears and outgoing elder Edward Gossett.  These men join a long list of faithful, God-fearing men who have lead this congregation down to this point in time.  I would love to mention all of the former elders, but for fear of leaving someone out, let me just say that the Fairfield Church is indebted to all of these men and their families.  <br><br>Our spirit is now one of excitement.  Our task is now one of service.  Our motivation is one of Christ-likeness.  Our goals are clear.  Our maps are drawn.  It is now time to move forward into what may become one of the greatest eras in this Church’s history.  May God bless our eldership and their families.  May God bless the Fairfield Church of Christ and His Church the world over.<br><br>   <br><br><br>Go the extra mile - Devin                 <br><br>