Leaders vs. Followers

There is a great difference between leaders and followers

There is a great difference in the attitude and actions of leaders and followers.  The response to hardships, the communication skills, the level of loyalty, the understanding of teamwork, the ability to complete the task, the organizational disciplines, the desire to learn, the risk-taking factor, time management, people skills and the list goes on and on.

A few years ago I received this e-mail describing to me the difference between leaders and followers.  My hope is that it will challenge you to evaluate the degree of your leadership!  Encourage and challenge the people around you by e-mailing to a friend or passing it around the office.  Maybe you can lift the leadership lid of someone you know today!

When leaders make a mistake, they say “I was wrong.”
When followers make mistakes, they say “It wasn’t my fault.”

A leader works harder than a follower and has more time;
A follower is always “too busy” to do what is necessary.

A leader goes through a problem;
A follower goes around it and never gets past it.

A leader makes and keeps commitments;
A follower makes and forgets promises.

A leader says “I’m good, but not as good as I ought to be;”
A follower says, “I’m not as bad as a lot of other people.”

Leaders listen;
Followers just wait until it’s their turn to talk

Leaders respect those who are superior to them and try to learn something from them;
Followers resent those who are superior to them and try to find chips in their armor.

Leaders feel responsible for more than their job;
Followers say “I only work here.”

A leader says, “There ought to be a better way to do this;”
Followers say, “That’s the way it’s always been done.”

If you are a leader then you have to learn to respond like a leader.  Don’t be a leader with follower traits or your leadership will be weakened.  Read this article one more time and ask yourself “Am I a leader acting like a leader or am I a leader acting like a follower?”

Until Next Time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

“Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors.
Try to be better than yourself.”

William Faulkner

Chris Sonksen is a celebrated Motivational Speaker and Published Author; the Lead Pastor at one of America’s fastest growing churches (South Hills Church in Corona California); and the founding member of Celera Church Strategy Group. Celera offers pastor support, teaching, training and mentoring programs that equip pastors who want to learn how to grow church attendance through evangelism using proven church growth techniques.

“Selecting the right players for your team”

“If you have a Mt. Everest Dream you will need a Mt. Everest Team.”

Maybe you have heard the statement “If you have a Mt. Everest Dream you will need a Mt. Everest Team.”  It is true!  If you have a desire to achieve greatness in your life, you cannot do it alone, you will need a Team.  The level of that Team will determine the level of your success.  You may be the greatest leader in your field, have tremendous people skills, communicate well and know how to motivate people, but without the right team you cannot win the game!

Whenever I am viewing a potential team member or re-viewing the current team members I ask myself the following questions.  These questions serve as a guideline to determine if they are the right player for me.

1)  Do they believe and support the Vision?
If you have team members with different vision, then the vision becomes blurry.  There must be a clear vision that you provide and a support and belief in that vision from each team member.

2)  Do they share the same Values?
Your team members must share in the values of your organization or you will continually have difficulty in your relationship with them.

3)  Is there loyalty to the leader, the team and the organization?
We often make the mistake of excusing a lack of loyalty because the individual possesses certain gifts or talents.  Take caution!  If they are not loyal then the relationship is ultimately doomed!  THEY MUST BE LOYAL!

4)  Do they add value to the team?
The organization must be better because this team member is a part of it.  If they don’t bring value to the table then why are they there!!  Remember a great team member is an asset not a liability.

5)  Do they possess the desire for personal growth?
You don’t want team members who have no desire for personal growth.  Ask them what books they have read lately, what seminars they have attended, do they have accountability partners.  Each team member must be on a path for personal growth.

6)  Are they self-motivated?
If they are not self starters you don’t want them.  You need people who don’t need you to constantly tell them what to do.  Find people who can get the job done!

7)   Do they have natural people skills?
You can teach someone a trait but it is difficult to teach someone people skills.  In my profession people skills is absolutely necessary.  If you decide to place someone on your team without people skills then be prepared to continually clean up the mess they make.  Good people skills are priceless to a team!
These are the seven questions I ask myself when observing current or potential team members.  Use these questions as guidelines and they will help you to create your own Dream Team!!

Until Next Time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

“The main ingredient for stardom is the rest of the team.”
John Wooden

Soaring with your strengths

Discover where you are naturally gifted and invest your time in it.

Maybe you have heard the saying “people don’t burn out in their strengths, they burnout in their weaknesses.”  This is true! When you and I love to do something we usually don’t burn out in that area of our lives, it’s when we involve ourselves with areas of weakness that we are quick to be drained.  When we participate in areas that we don’t have a natural gifting or passion we find ourselves burning out and trying to figure a way out.

My son loves to play baseball and as many American children, has high hopes of playing in the Major Leagues.  He is not interested in any other sport except baseball.  He would play baseball day and night if he could.  I have also noticed that of all the other sports he has sampled, baseball is where he is most naturally gifted.  It is where his passion is strongest!  Now because he is passionate, loves the game and has some gifting in the area of baseball it is rare to see him burnout and say to me “Dad, I don’t want to play baseball.”

In any organization, church, company or team it is important for the leader to discover the areas of strengths for themselves and for the individual team members. The last thing you want to do is to have you or any of your team members spending a large amount of time on something your not good at and that you don’t even like to do.  Below are two simple rules to follow that will help you to move in the right direction of placing you and your team members in areas where you will receive the greatest amount of results.

Rule #1 –  Discover what you love to do and do it with all your heart
When evaluating where you or your team members spend the majority of your time you must ask yourself “What do I love to do.”  What is it that brings the most joy to my life? What I suggest is that you take out a piece of paper and write down your “likes” and “dislikes.”  Exhaust everything that comes to your mind and write it down.  You will find that there are things that you love to do and that you couldn’t imagine ever burning out in those areas.  For me personally, I love to communicate but I don’t love to administrate.  I love casting vision, but I don’t love carrying out the details.  The more I place my energy in the things I love the happier I am and the more effective I am!  Find what you love to do and spend more time doing it.

Rule #2 –  Discover where you are naturally gifted and invest the majority of your time in it.
Michael Jordan is known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.  He is most known for his career with the Chicago Bulls and the incredible ensemble of players they had in the 90’s.  But do you remember when he retired from Basketball and tried his skill at Baseball.  In his own words it was the worst mistake of his life.  He is a Basketball player not a Baseball player.  He has a God given gift in a specific sport and he does his best when he stays within his gifting.  It is important for you and your team members to operate inside of their gifting.  What is it that God has designed you to do…what is your gifting?  You and your team members will be happier and more successful when you operate in your area of strength.

Chances are there is two or three things that you do very well and most importantly you love to do.  Discover those areas and spend the majority of your time doing them.  Your personal life and the life of your team will reach its potential when it operates with these two thoughts in mind…what do I love to do and what am I good at?

Until Next Time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

“When you’re passionate, you’re focused, purposeful and determined, without even having to try.  Your body, mind and spirit are all working in unison towards the same goal.”                                                                   Marcia Wieder

A Leader can’t Lead without Respect

Respect is earned through integrity, humility, dependability and priority

When people respect someone as a person they admire them.  When they respect them as a friend, they love them.  When they respect them as a leader, they follow them.  You cannot get people to follow you as a leader if they do not respect you.  People may want to “hang out” with you if they like you, but they won’t climb with you if they don’t respect you.

We all know that the success or failure of any organization falls on the shoulders of its leader.  But the success or failure of the leader falls on the shoulders of the respect the leader has earned.  How is respect earned, how do we obtain it from those around us?  It isn’t easy and it doesn’t come with titles or positions!  Respect is something you work at and is found in the daily practices of a leader.  It takes years to earn and seconds to lose, but without it, you cannot lead.

Here are few ways to earn respect from those around you:

1)  Respect is earned through integrity
The founder of Forbes magazine once said “Integrity is the basis for all success.”  Without integrity you cannot have Respect.  Integrity is found in your lifestyle, your values and your mission and motive in life.  It’s your ethics, your morals and your boundaries for your personal and public life.  Integrity is not a 90% thing or even a 95% thing…either you have it or you don’t.

2)  Respect is earned through humility
Humility says “I’m sorry, it was my fault.”  It approaches a person to resolve conflict.  It gives away the credit and seeks to put others above oneself.  Rarely will you respect someone whos ego is so big you can’t fit in the room with them.  If you want respect, break your pride and operate on the basis of humility.

3)  Respect is earned through dependability
People must be able to count on you!  If you are consistently late, don’t follow through, make commitments you don’t keep and continually break your promises, you cannot and will not have respect from those around you.  Dependability is absolutely necessary if you desire respect from your peers.

4)  Respect is earned through priority
To have Respect from those around you (family, friends, colleagues, superiors) they must see a life lived by priorities.  Remember the story of the Big Rocks?  The professor pulls out a jar in front of his class and puts three big rocks in the jar and asked the students “is the jar full?”  The class said “yes.”  He then put gravel in the jar and asked “is it full now?”  The class again said “yes.”  He then put sand in the jar and asked “is it full?”  By now the class was afraid to answer.  He finally put water in the jar and said “now the jar is full.”  He then said “you have to put the big rocks in first or nothing else will fit.”  Priorities are when you put the big rocks first in your life and let everything else fall around it.

These are four simple ways to earn respect from people!  Apply these to your life and share them with your staff and co-workers.  Remember that respect is something you earn…so earn it or you will never lead with success!

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
Beverly Sills

Learning the art of communication

Eye Contact, Body Language, and Volume are Key Elements of Effective Communication

I spend the majority of my life communicating to people.  Through presentations, committees, boards, staff, teaching and writings, I find myself communicating to groups of people almost everyday.  What you might not realize, is that you communicate daily as well.  Maybe not in front of a crowd, but you interact almost every day of your life with associates, friends, family, colleagues, potential customers etc… Communication is an incredible tool.  It brings you closer to people, gives you a larger influence in their lives, and can build up the confidence of those around you.  Bert Decker once said “The ability to communicate is the single most important skill determining your success in life.”

Because communication is prevalent in our lives, it would only make sense to perfect this art and to learn everything we can to communicate more effectively and more powerfully.  Below are some quick suggestions to help you improve this art in your life.  I challenge you to find at least one thing below that you are not doing…and start doing it today!!

Eye Communication – If your eyes are not focused on the listener it may communicate shiftiness, insecurity or a lack of trust.  Look people straight in the eye, it will speak volumes of confidence and trust.

Posture and movement – Stand tall and confident.  Move with precision.  It is difficult to have confidence in an over slouched, slow moving, timid person.

Gestures and Smiles – Keep your hand gestures in accordance with the size of the group.  Large groups…lots of movement, small groups tone them down, one on one keep them close to your body.  Whatever you do SMILE a lot!  The simple act of smiling warms you to the person and connects you to their heart.

Shaking Hands – When you shake a hand with someone do it firmly.  Weak handshakes project weak people.  When shaking their hands, place your other hand over their hand or on the side of their arm.  This extra touch leaves a great impression.

Volume – When speaking to someone find the appropriate volume.  Too loud is annoying and too soft is frustrating.  Find the volume that speaks confidence!

Humor – Victor Borge said “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.”  If you are witty, use it to your advantage, but never use it at the expense of someone else.

Listening – I saved the best for last.  Listening to the person you are speaking with is the single greatest act in communication.  Listen with your eyes and with your heart, give the person your speaking with your full attention.  Don’t be thinking of your response before they finish their sentence.  They will catch on to this and perceive it as if what they have to say doesn’t matter to you.

Once again, Communication is an art and we do it everyday of our lives.  Work at it, learn to be effective, be a great speaker and be an even better listener. If you can grasp the art of communication, success will grasp you!

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

“Big people monopolize the listening.  Small people monopolize the talking.”
David Schwartz, The Magic of Thinking Big

“Out of the box thinking” Part 4

Get out of the Box for some Creative Thinking Time

“Nurture great thoughts, for you will never go higher than your thoughts.”  These words shared by Benjamin Disraeli exemplify what I have been sharing with you in this series of blog entries.  You will never go higher than your thoughts, so it only makes sense to think outside of the box.  Creative, innovative and forward thinking is what separates the highly successful people from those who excel at being average.  If you want to raise the bar in your life, you must first raise the bar in your thinking.

Let’s take a moment to review the first six steps to becoming an “Out of the box” thinker:

1)  Embrace change…don’t reject it
Remember that if you reject change you are ultimately rejecting your own success.  Let change be the catalyst that achieves your dreams.

2)  Adapt and Grow
Accept that society is changing and there is nothing you can do about it.  Your best decision is to adapt to the changes and grow from it.  Change your method but nor your message.

3)  Find your time wasters
Find the programs and events that no longer bring you the desired results and either change them or stop them all together.  Don’t waste time on unproductive events!

4)  Focus on the reward
When you’re making change, there will be pain.  Focus on the reward and the pain will be easier to deal with.

5)  Think like an entrepreneur
Remember that small thinking produces small results.  If you want to see greater results in your life and organization you will need to start thinking bigger.

6)  Be resourceful
Take a hard look at your organization and the goals you want to accomplish and get resourceful.  If you put your mind to it, you can figure out how to achieve all that you have dreamed.

Now let’s take a look at the final two steps to becoming an “Out of the box” thinker:

7)  Creative time
One of the best things you can do is to set aside some time in your calendar for creative thinking.  I  began to do this some time ago and it is enhancing my personal goals and vision.  You simply cut out four-six hours in your calendar and go away to think.  You can go to a park, coffee house or a restaurant, but find a place where you can get alone with a pad of paper and a pen and begin to spend some time in creative thinking.  You will be amazed how many ideas will be birthed as you strategically plan out some thinking time.
The Creator made you to think, so slow down long enough to exercise your mind and watch what happens.

8)  Take action
Knowledge is not power, it is the application of knowledge that is power.  All your creative ideas mean nothing unless you put them into action.  As you begin to become an “Out of the box” thinker you will also need to become a “get it done and then some” person.  Otherwise you will have great ideas with no wheels to make them roll.  Surround yourself with staff and leaders who can help you carry out the creative ideas that are lying deep inside of you.  You can do it!  Create, dream, believe and achieve.

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

“One of the reasons people don’t achieve their dreams is that they
desire to change their results without changing their thinking.”

John C. Maxwell

“Out of the box” thinking Part – 3

Become an “Out of the box” thinker

Thomas Edison once said “If an individual desires success they must choose the path of new venture rather then the old path of the already approved.”  Mr. Edison modeled for us “Out of the box” thinking.  Rather then heading down the path that had already been walked he set out on a new course to discover and adventure where no one had gone before.  That is “Out of the box” thinking and that propels us to higher success.

I have been challenging you to become an “Out of the box” thinker.  To begin thinking about your organization, strategies and future plans in a brand new way.  Rather then settling for what has always been, strive for what could be.

Let’s take a moment to review the first four steps to becoming an “Out of the box” thinker:

1)  Embrace change…don’t reject it
When you reject change you are surrendering to the mentality that says ‘this is the best it will ever be.’

2)  Adapt and grow
Life has been engineered for growth.  People, plants, animals, everything God created grows and changes.  Adapt to the reality that our society changes as well.  Adapt and grow.

3)  Find your time wasters
Stop spending time on projects or programs that no longer work.  Package your message in a way that is relevant to those you are trying to reach.

4)  Focus on the reward
“Out of the box” thinking requires change and change often brings pain.  Keep in mind however, that change is the avenue to growth and although it hurts, there is most often a great reward.

Now let’s take a look at the next two steps in “Out of box” thinking…
5)  Think like an entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs are individuals who undertake risks.  They are not afraid to take a chance, to go where others dare not tread.  To think like an entrepreneur you have to accept ownership and take responsibility for your ideas and the results you hope to achieve.  You have to recognize that you are in the driver’s seat.  Think bigger, try new things, look for opportunities, stop finding comfort in the stability of your surroundings and set a course for creativity.

6)  Be Resourceful
What if your “job description” read something like this:  Know your purpose.  Dazzle your customers.  Be a team player.  Meet your deadlines.  Expand your skills.  Share your knowledge.  Be honest.  Seek continuous improvement and think change.  Could you do it?  I bet if you put your mind to it, you could figure out a way to make all this happen.  WHY?  Because you are more resourceful then you think.  When faced with a crisis or uncertainty, you have an amazing ability to be resourceful and figure out a way to make it all work.  Don’t think ‘I’m not creative, I can’t think out of the box” yes you can, you are creative and resourceful.  If you put your mind to it, you will figure out new approaches, programs, ideas and strategies.  Don’t limit yourself, your mind is a powerful tool…put it to work!

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

“A person who does not have a clear goal is used by someone who does.”

Author Unknown

Chris Sonksen is a celebrated Motivational Speaker and Published Author; the Lead Pastor at one of America’s fastest growing churches (South Hills Church in Corona California); and the founding member of Celera Church Strategy Group. Celera offers pastor support, teaching, training and mentoring programs that equip pastors who want to learn how to grow church attendance through evangelism using proven church growth techniques.

“Out of the box” thinking Part 2

Thinking Out Of The Box

Last time we began an article entitled “Out of the box” thinking.  We learned that true leaders are those who desire to grow and move forward.  In addition, we learned that the only way to grow and move forward is to embrace the idea of “Out of the box” thinking.

Often leaders make the mistake of thinking that if they do things the same way that somehow they will get different results.  Or they start off with excellence in mind, but soon excellence isn’t worth the hassle if acceptable will do.  The result is that mediocrity is only a breath away.

The first two steps we looked at in becoming an “Out of the box” thinker were…

1)  Embrace change…don’t reject it
People have to be willing to change and accept that it is the pathway that leads to success.  Change is inevitable if you want to grow.  Rejecting change is a form of surrendering to the concept that ‘this is the best it will ever be.’

2)  Adapt and grow
You don’t have to remind your body to grow or for some of us, your head to lose hair.  These are natural circumstances that take place in the growing process of life.  We are engineered to grow.  In the same fashion society is engineered to grow and change.  Unless you adapt and begin growing you will be left behind.

Here are a couple of more tips to help you in the “Out of the box” thinking process…

3)  Find your time wasters
Most people never recognize that the real enemy in progress is the inability to sort through the clutter of what use to work, but isn’t effective anymore.  We waste time, energy and finances on programs and ideas that produced results years ago, but have long become obsolete.  Clear the clutter, if it isn’t working, find a new way of doing it, or stop doing it all together.  Quit spinning your wheels on projects that aren’t rolling.  By clearing the clutter you will be forced to become an “Out of the box” thinker.

4)  Focus on the reward
Often we avoid change because it requires pain.  The pain may include:  Evaluating your personal performance, being honest about your progress or looking deep into concepts you have pioneered.  The change may require the pain of letting go, eliminating projects, removing individuals or saying goodbye to a tradition you have held onto stronger then you should have.  The fact…change is difficult.  However, if you will learn to focus on the reward of change it may help you in the process.  Keep your eye on the results that lie ahead.  When you begin to see the results you have wished for, the pain will seem minimal in light of the reward.

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

“Small problems are difficult to see, but easy to fix.  However, when you let
these problems develop, they are easy to see but difficult to fix.”
Niccolo Macchiavelli

Chris Sonksen is a celebrated Motivational Speaker and Published Author; the Lead Pastor at one of America’s fastest growing churches (South Hills Church in Corona California); and the founding member of Celera Church Strategy Group. Celera offers pastor support, teaching, training and mentoring programs that equip pastors who want to learn how to grow church attendance through evangelism using proven church growth techniques.

“Out of the box” thinking Part – 1

Start Thinking Out of the Box

True leaders are thinkers, at least those who want to do something significant.  If you desire to grow and to move your team or organization to new levels, you must begin to think in new ways.  Often we fall into the trap of doing things the same way. This method may produce results but eventually it will bring you to mediocrity or even lower.

Author and speaker Charles Swindoll noted:

“Competitive excellence requires 100 percent all of the time.  If you doubt that, try maintaining excellence by setting your standards at 92 percent.  Or even 95 percent.  People figure they’re doing fine so long as they get somewhere near it.  Excellence gets reduced to acceptable and before long, acceptable doesn’t seem worth the sweat if you can get by with adequate.  After that, mediocrity is only a breath away.”

This powerful statement describes the pattern of many leaders.  They start off with the idea of “excellence” but end up with mediocrity.  Quit often this results from limited thinking or lazy thinking.  The fact is, if you want to move forward and upward your thinking must become outward.  You must think differently if you desire different results.
Here is the first set of steps you can take toward “Out of the box” thinking…

1)  Embrace change…don’t reject it
Often in organizations people fall into the trap of “same way” thinking.  They have always done it this way and so they will always do it this way.  It has worked in the past so it will work in the future.  Unfortunately this type of thinking will create a downward spiral in any company or organization.  People like Henry Ford learned this in the early years, when other car companies began to adapt to the needs of the customer, but Mr. Ford was resistant to change.  Computer companies like IBM and Apple struggled when people like Microsoft hit the market.  WHY?  Because they were unwilling to change.

Change is difficult.  It requires work.  Challenges thinking. Threatens egos.  Creates friction among the teams and their leaders.  Simply put…”out of the box” thinking is hard work.  However, it is a path that must be taken by any leader desiring to improve his or her organization.  The world is moving and it will move with or without you.  Embrace the change or reject it, but understand your choice will have serious consequences.
2)  Adapt and Grow
Do you have to tell your body to change?  Do you have to inform your cells on what to do?  Is getting old something you have to work on or does it happen automatically?  Do you have to force yourself to get wrinkles or lose hair?  Of course not!  These changes happen by natural circumstance.  We are engineered to grow, to expand beyond today; physically, mentally and emotionally.  The moment we lose sight of this,  the instant we convince ourselves that change is bad, we begin limiting ourselves.

Those who attempt to fight what is natural fall behind.  Do yourself a favor, do your organization and team a favor.  Learn to adapt to the changing culture around you and grow from it.  Don’t settle for the way things are set your sights on the way thing could be!

Until next time,
Chris Sonksen

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:
“When the mind is expanded, it never returns back to its original formation.”

– Oliver Wendell Holmes

Chris Sonksen is a celebrated Motivational Speaker and Published Author; the Lead Pastor at one of America’s fastest growing churches (South Hills Church in Corona California); and the founding member of Celera Church Strategy Group. Celera offers pastor support, teaching, training and mentoring programs that equip pastors who want to learn how to grow church attendance through evangelism using proven church growth techniques.

Ten Commandments of Human Relations

“Ten Commandments of Human Relations.”

Life is comprised of relationships!  The success we enjoy or the failure we experience often will be surrounded by a relationship to some degree.  True leaders understand this and because they do, they value relationships and spend time nurturing each one of them.  If you desire greatness for yourself and for your organization then you must work diligently at healthy and growing relationships.

Let me give you the “Ten Commandments of Human Relations.”  I strongly urge you to copy this article and share it with your key staff and leaders.  Forward this article to a friend!  I believe in these simple rules for relationships and I am confident, when put into practice will produce great results.

1)Speak kindly to people:  There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word and a warm greeting.

2)Smile at people:  It takes 72 muscles to frown and 14 to smile.  Make it a habit to smile warmly at people.  You will make a lasting impression.

3)Call people by their name:  The sweetest music to anyone’s ear is the sound of their own name.  Memorize people’s names and watch how they react to you!

4)Be friendly and helpful:  Don’t be in such a hurry that you come off rude.  Remember to walk slowly through the crowd and connect with people!

5)Be cordial:  Speak and act as if everything you do is a genuine pleasure.

6)Be interested in people:  If you truly want to connect with people, be interested in their lives, opinions, struggles and dreams.  If you want to ask for a hand you must first touch a heart.

7)Be generous with praise:  People desperately need encouragement.  Be generous with encouragement both publicly and privately.

8)Be considerate about the feelings of others:  If you will value other people’s feelings (even if you can’t relate)  they will value you!

9)Be thoughtful of the opinions of others:  People want to be heard.  Value their opinion even if you don’t agree.

10)Be alert to give service:  Be willing to help others reach the top!  If you bring out the best in others, then the best will be brought out in you.

Take these “Ten Commandments” and live by them!  Go over them with deep consideration and be honest about the one or more areas that you need to develop.  If your serious about success then you must be serious about your relationship to others.  You will never reach the top alone!

Until Next Time,

Chris Sonksen

Quote for the Day:

“Change itself is not progress, but change is the price that we pay for progress.”
Clayton G. Orcutt

Chris Sonksen is a celebrated Motivational Speaker and Published Author; the Lead Pastor at one of America’s fastest growing churches (South Hills Church in Corona California); and the founding member of Celera Church Strategy Group. Celera offers pastor support, teaching, training and mentoring programs that equip pastors who want to learn how to grow church attendance through evangelism using proven church growth techniques.