The Little Leader

May 23, 2013 by 2 Comments

I’ve attended some of the best leadership conferences and have heard inspiring talks about leadership.  From Catalyst to the Global Leadership Summit to the Chick-fil-a Leadercast, amazing leaders and speakers have shared their best.  But after all of these leadership events, you know what happens?
I go home.
Back to my family.  Back to work.  Back to email. I set my note-filled Mokeskin notebook down, and I take out the trash.
It turns out, leadership isn’t that big of a deal.  Leadership is forged in everyday moments, not on stages at conferences.
My opportunity to lead will most likely come in my home, not in a board meeting.  It’s far more likely I’ll be having a nighttime chat with my kids after reading an illustrated book than speak on stage flanked by two LED screens.
But that’s okay.  No…it’s good.  I’d rather be a little leader.  With that in mind, here are ten ways you can lead TODAY.
  1. Take someone to lunch.  Send a text message right now and get it scheduled.
  2. Write an encouraging note.  Maybe you should say thanks to someone who has encouraged you.  Or maybe you should say thanks to someone in need of encouragement.  Trust me, encouragement is like a drug.
  3. Plan your week on Sunday night.  Looking at the next week’s schedule can provide a great deal of clarity.  Fifteen minutes can make 168 hours more meaningful.
  4. Connect someone to someone.  Do you know two people who’s lives would be better if they connected.  Make the introduction.
  5. Take your kids to breakfast.  My friend Vince once said that people look back on their childhood and remember the really big stuff and the consistent stuff.  Can you imagine the impression you can leave on your children with waffles every Saturday?
  6. Write your annual goals.  Forget resolutions…write down your annual goals and hang them on the wall.
  7. Communicate an expectation.  Simply stating your expectation can get you and the other person on the same page.
  8. Ask someone to evaluate you.  My friend Jeff once challenged us to ask three people “What’s it like to be on the other side of me?”  What a great question.
  9. Just help someone.  Instead of focusing on getting a meeting with a big time leader, help someone who is a few steps behind you.  John Maxwell says we should simply add value to someone’s life everyday.
  10. Sign up for something.  A course.  A conference.  A coaching network.  Something that will make you better.
Andy Stanley once said (at Catalyst, one of those big leadership events I Love), “Leadership is a stewardship.  It’s temporary and you are accountable.” If that’s true, I want to be a good steward of what happens today.  I want to be a little leader.
Hopefully, this simple list can inspire you to take some small action that will pay big dividends.

 

Filed Under: Leadership

Breaking Down the Best TED Talks

May 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

In the 20th Anniversary edition of WIRED Magazine, Jason Kehe gives the winning formula for the most successful TED talks.  I listen to several TED talks a week, so I found his list right on the money.

  1. Simple PowerPoints slides or graphics. It turns out, most great presentations have simple presentations with minimal graphics.  Those bullet points aren’t all that inspiring.
  2. Opening jokes.  A few catchy statements, but most people just get right to it.  When you’re on the clock, you don’t have time to waste words.  The first five minutes of any talk are the most important, because this is your chance to connect.
  3. A spontaneous moment.  Kehe points out that there are few memorable, unscripted moments.  Don’t be afraid to respond to the audience.
  4. Statement of Certainty.  When you’re standing in front of a room full of people, be the expert.
  5. A snappy refrain that’s repeated often.  Work hard to craft a sticky statement, then repeat it again and again.  Like the chorus of a song, repeat what’s important.  I call this a sticky statement, and there’s a formula to create a good one.
  6. A story of personal failure.  John Maxwell says you can impress people with your success but you impact them with your failure.  Be authentic and honest.
  7. A contrarian thesis.  Saying something everyone already knows isn’t all that interesting.  Look for the tension.
Filed Under: Communication

Ten Things Pastors and Preachers Can Do During the Summer

May 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Pastors, what are your summer plans?  Here are ten suggestions for how you can maximize those summer months.
  1. Take some time off.  Summer is a great time for a family trip or a vacation (yes, those are different).
  2.  Invite some people over to your home.  Maybe some volunteers, or key leaders or a group of donors.  A summer cookout or a little low country boil is fun.
  3. Let other people preach.  You don’t have to give the youth pastor the Sunday after Thanksgiving – be an overachiever and give him two weeks in a row.  Bring in a guest speaker while you’re at it.
  4. Plan for the fall.  With the free time you’ll have from not preaching every week, look ahead to the fall.
  5. Have fun with your family.  You don’t have to spend a bunch of money to have a fun day in your town.
  6. Talk about automated, recurring giving.  Even though people might be out of town, they can still give.  You just have to show them how and ask them to do it.  This will help.
  7. Go visit another church.  Sneak out for a Sunday and go visit another church in town.  Or go hear your favorite preacher in person.
  8. Read something you wouldn’t normally read.  Maybe something from history or the latest non-history history from Dan Brown.
  9. Do something fun with your staff.  Your staff needs some relaxation, too.  How about a staff and spouse trip to the baseball park.  Or a corn hole tournament in your front yard.
  10. Have some intentional conversations.  Go meet another pastor for coffee.  Hire a leadership coach.  Meet up with some key leaders in the church just to talk about life.
Filed Under: Leadership Tagged With: ,

Three Things Churches Can Outsource

May 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

In my work with the Rocket Company, I’m blessed to be able to work with hundreds of churches, especially in the area of preaching, volunteers and giving.  One of the questions church leaders frequently ask is the amount of their budget that should go to staff.  For most churches, this is the single biggest line item in the budget.  It’s common for a church to allocate 30-60% of their budget to staff and staff-related expenses.

This isn’t always a bad thing, but for churches looking to be better stewards of their resources, it might be worth considering something:  outsourcing.  In my opinion, there are three things that churches could outsource that would not only improve effectiveness – they would save money.  And when you factor in hiring costs, healthcare and benefits, payroll costs and ongoing training – there’s even a bigger benefits.

  1. Receptionist.  We use a service called Call Ruby, and they are excellent.  They answer the phones in a quick, professional and friendly way and can route them to a real person or take a message.  Use this link and they will waive the setup fee.
  2. Ministry Assistant.  I’ve personally worked with EA Help, and they are at the top of their game.  They have a fantastic process for matching you up with the right person, and they serve as your liaison.  A virtual assistant can handle calendar, emails and projects.  You could start with just a few hours a week and work up from there.
  3. Bookkeeping.  If I was leading a church that had less than $750,000 in the budget, I would absolutely do this.  If you’re higher than that, I’d still consider it.  With Quickbooks Online, you can always see what’s happening, but you won’t drown in the details.  Do a cost analysis and you will find that outsourcing will save you money.  MAG Bookkeeping is who  you want here.  They have great resources to help you or your team find out if it’s right for you.

Chances are, you could benefit from one, two or three of these things.  It might help you do more and save money at the same time – a rare combination.

Filed Under: Church Tagged With: , , ,

Selah

May 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I was  with a friend the other day and asked how work was going.
I explained our free trial model – how we let people test drive our coaching programs for 14 days.
And then I explained how tough it was for me to see so many people decide not to move forward. Highs and lows.  Hills and valleys.
I hate those cancel emails.  I laugh a little when the email says, “I can’t afford this….sent from an iPad.”  Because I want to serve everyone and help everyone, it’s slightly depressing when I don’t get the opportunity.
Now I know people who don’t use English as their primary language, ministers who don’t speak often, and people who generally don’t value coaching aren’t a good fit for our program, but still…
That’s why I was so glad to get Brian’s email yesterday from this pastor, who said:
Before preaching Rocket, I got to the point I was not looking forward to Sunday.  It was always there.  Always preparing.  Now, I feel so relaxed and my level of confidence is exponentially higher.  I am honoring God and He is honoring me.
If I don’t pause to let that sink in, I will get overly worried about all the things that are wrong and need to be fixed.
In the book of Psalms, you come across the word Selah.  That was the writers way of telling people to pause and consider God’s message, to let the weight of the previous sentence sink in.  It’s a modern day “think about that.”
It’s a reminder from the Psalmist to say there are more important things.
And so we are helping Pastor Rey honor God.
Selah.
 
That one little word brings much needed perspective to business, parenting and life.
There are a lot of things I don’t have, but there are many things I do have.  Selah.
There are lot of opportunities I could pursue, but I have three children at home who need their dad.  Seleh.
There are a lot of people who complain, but then there are some people who are helped.  Seleh.
I’m praying you have a seleh moment today.

 

Filed Under: Personal

Is the Internet Making Us Dumber?

May 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Nicholas Carr, writing in Wired Magazine, gives us powerful food for thought.

What kind of brain is the Web giving us?  That question will no doubt the subject of a great deal of research in the years ahead.  Already, though, there is much we know or can surmise – and the news is quite disturbing.  Dozens of studies by psychologists, neurobiologists, and educators point us to the same conclusion:  When we go online, we enter an environment that promotes cursory reading, hurried and distracted thinking, and superficial learning.  Even as the Internet grants us easy access to vast amounts of information, it is turning us into shallower thinkers, literally changing the structure of the brain.

A few of my thoughts:

  • Some things deserve more than “a cursory reading, hurried and distracted thinking and superficial learning”
  • I know we’re supposed to write scannable copy for mobile phones, but some topics aren’t meant to be consumed fast.
  • If someone sends me something important, I owe them more than scanning it at a red light.
  • I’m reading a book now called Moonlighting with Einstein about the world memory championships.  He says that the invention of hte printing press changed everything.  Before that time, we had to remember stuff.  Now, we just need to know how to find it.  Interesting.

What do you think?

Filed Under: Book Notes Tagged With:

Basic Christianity by John Stott [book notes]

May 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

As a part of my 2013 personal growth plan, I’m reading slowly through twelve books this year.  Last month, I read Basic Christianity by John Stott.  Here are some of the things I highlighted my notes.

  • Whenever our behavior is inconsistent with our belief, or our practice contradicts our preaching, we take God’s name in vain.
  • Religion is man-initiated.  Christianity is God-initiated.
  • A man may study Jesus with intellectual impartiality, but he cannot do it with moral neutrality; we must declare our colors.
  • Jesus is the only preacher who could preach a self-centered message.
  • Charles was great. Napoleon was great.  Jesus was the Only.
  • Legislation exists because humans cannot settle their own disputes with justice and without self interest.
  • All the sins we commit are assertions of self, either against God or man.
  • Serious illnesses need urgent cures.
  • Christianity is a rescue religion.
  • Atonement is two conflicting parties made one.  Sin leads to estrangement but the cross leads to atonement.
  • At first Peter (one of those closest to Jesus) didn’t want to accept the suffering of Christ.
  • An example can stir our imagination, kindle our idealism and strengthen our resolve, but it cannot cleanse the defileent of our past sins.  Jesus was more than an example.
  • Jesus interpreted his mission in light of the Old Testament Scriptures.  Especially Isaiah 53.
  • Man hath sinned and God hath suffered.   God hath made himself the sin of men and men are made the righteousness of God – Richard Hooker, 1585
  • The quality of the fruit depends on the quality of the tree.  Thankfully, the Holy Spirit cultivates the orchard.
  • You could hand me a copy of King Lear and ask me to write like Shakespeare, but it wouldn’t work.
  • The church is an expression of common life and common love.
  • Jesus included a demand as well as an offer.  The demand was as total as the offer was free.
  • Large numbers of people have covered themselves with a decent, but this veneer of Christianity.
  • There can be no following without forsaking.
  • Repentance is a definite turn from every thought, word, deed and habit known to be wrong.
  • Godly work is cooperating with God in the service of man.
  • So called private affairs like money and sexuality must be brought under the Lordship of Christ.

I really recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn the fundamentals of Christianity.  Pastors should take a look too, since it’s so easy to get caught up in ministry theory and forget about the basics.

Filed Under: Book Notes

Sermon Notes: Andy Stanley – Follow Part Five

May 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Here are my notes from Andy Stanley’s message today at NorthPoint Community Church.  This was the fifth message in a series called “Follow.”  Catch all the messages in the series here.

  • “I didn’t choose to become a Jesus follower because I loved Jesus but because I didn’t want to go to hell.”  A lot of us get off to self-centered starts.
  • In Matthew 19:27, Peter is worried about what will happen to HIM.  He was approaching it as a Jesus consumer.
  • Jesus didn’t hate the Romans.  Jesus didn’t align with the religions leaders.  This frustrated Judas.
  • Matthew 26:6ff describes Judas and the disciples reacting to a woman who poured expensive purfume out to worship Jesus.
  • Judas wanted to be the treasurer or the CFO of the Kingdom of God.
  • God’s hand can’t be forced.  His will can’t be thwarted.
  • Following Jesus might feel like a death.
  • Our response should be:  I want what YOU want more than I want what I want.
  • If we’re not there yet, maybe we could start with this:  I want to want what you want more than what I want.
  • Blessed is the one who chooses to do the will of God rather than attempting to impose his will on God.
Filed Under: Sermon Notes

Sermon Notes from Andy Stanley: Follow – The Fine Print

May 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Here are my notes from Andy Stanley’s message entitled The Fine Print.  It’s part five of the Follow series, which you can watch at followseries.org.  Mark 8:27 and the verses that follow were the main passage.

  • Following isn’t always fun.
  • Jesus was the Messiah – that’s a Jewish word.  ”Christ” is the Greek version of that word, not Jesus’ last name.
  • Peter was concerned about himself.  Many Christians today are using Jesus, not following Him.
  • Jesus said following would require taking up a cross.
  • C.S. Lewis said the cross didn’t become a part of Christian art until everyone who had seen one used had died.
  • Your soul is more important than your stuff.
  • Salvation is free; it costs us nothing.  Following Christ will eventually cost us something.

Watch this and other messages from Andy Stanley at followseries.org.

Filed Under: Leadership Tagged With: , , ,

A Word to Pastors for Mother’s Day

May 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Mother’s Day is a big day for many churches and the mother’s day sermon is really important.  And while the day can be a great celebration, it can also be a painful time for many people.  Here are a few helpful lessons for Mother’s Day and preaching a Mother’s Day message.

1.  Don’t say “I’d like all the mothers to stand.”  Affirming mothers is great, but asking them to stand can be painful for someone.  Really painful.  Chances are, there is someone in the congregation who is trying to get pregnant or just lost a baby.  For that person, sitting down in a room full of other standing moms is horrifying.

2.  Don’t say “If you’re the youngest/oldest mother here, please stand.”  This might seem like a creative idea, but it’s a more focused version of what I mentioned above.  Plus, it’s really not all that creative.  For a great perspective from a woman on this, read Amy Young’s post.

3.  Most pastors are not moms, so it’s a good idea to send your sermon to moms and get feedback before you preach it.  Getting feedback ahead of time is better than getting an evaluation after the fact.  You don’t have to call a meeting or have a big creative team…just email your message notes to three or four moms and ask for their honest opinion.

On a side note, Father’s Day is a month away.  In my observation, churches really try to honor, cherish and affirm mothers with the mother’s day sermon only to yell at Fathers with the father’s day sermon a month later.  Maybe dads need some encouragement too.

Filed Under: Church Tagged With: , , ,
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