Leadership Conference September 3, 2009

I’m honored to have received an invitation to speak at the 2009 Leadership Development Conference for Central Virgina Baptist Ministries. I get to talk about creative technology and the impact of social media on the church.

Hopefully I’ll figure out a definitive answer before the conference. Then, maybe I’ll solve the American health care crisis.

Seriously, I’ve enjoyed researching info for this talk. I’m looking forward to it!

If you’re interested in Leadership Development, Central Baptist Style, check out the registration info here. The conference itself is free, but you can get yourself a good dinner for a mere $7. The event is September 28 at Bon Air Baptist Church. I’m not particular about wanting you to come hear me; there are a ton of sessions offered that might be of interest to you. Check it out!

I’ve met some great people through CVBM – folks like Lee Ellison and Jim Hamacher and Nita May. Looks like this conference will be another great opportunity to get folks together.

Hope to see you there!

All The Single Ladies (And Guys) August 29, 2009

I’m single. And I serve a large church, where a lot of other single people find themselves. We continue to work to find effective ways get single people connected in service and small groups, to find ways to help process and work through the very difficult challenges that men and women face as they recover from divorce or deal with singleness that goes past the age of 30, when it appears that society expects you to be married. Getting connecting, meeting and trusting people? Not always easy. When you have issues stemming from divorce, it can be extremely complicated.

It’s tough. People want to find God, to learn more about serving and growing. But people also want healing, and help, and partnership and connection. Often, single folks just want something to do. Being alone can be very lonely.

It’s a struggle for me, in a position of leadership at church, to know exactly how to best serve folks like me.

I read something today on Kathy Guy’s blog that really helped me understand how a church can best serve single people. Here’s what she has to say to the single folks at their church:

It’s likely that 90% – or at least a bunch of you – are here with the hope of meeting someone of the opposite sex. That’s not an insult or a judgement. It’s understandable and nothing wrong with it. It’s reality.

At the same time, the intent of our group environments is not to provide a dating service. Our hope is for you to discover more fully how much you matter to God, and we believe that this happens best as you build relationships with each other.

If inside of meeting others, you happen to meet the person of your dreams, well that’s just a big touchdown for you! If you measure your experience based on that, however, you’ll be disappointed. You will have an opportunity to get to know some people, and you’ll start seeing them when you come to church. You’ll feel like you know some people, and it just makes it better.”

Our hope is for you to discover more fully how much you matter to God.

Anything else is a bonus.

That’s a great way to do church.

What do you think?

Successful Church July 7, 2009

Putting on my leadership hat to share this recent post from Craig Groeschel of lifechurch.tv. (Check out his blog here.)

This really, REALLY made me think today.

I’m glad when God kicks me out of my comfort zone.

But it ain’t comfortable….

I will never be satisfied with a church filled only with people who know Christ. God longs for the “lost to be found.” But for years I found the greatest joy in more people coming to church.

Today, I’m redefining success to not just more people, but different people.

A few years ago, our church was experiencing record crowds of people. But we also had many people who’d been with us for years falling into major sins.

We seemed to be effective at getting people into Church, but were we truly getting people into Christ?

I’ve been set free from being totally driven by attendance. Instead I’m asking God to take those we have into a deeper place of intimacy and knowledge of Christ. I’d rather have fewer and totally committed believers than a large number of lazy, apathetic, carnally minded and unproductive cultural Christians. – Craig Groeschel

What do you think? What makes a church “successful”?

Common Sense Leadership June 29, 2009

This is what I’m reading at the moment. I love leadership books that resonate with common sense.

After the introduction, I’m convinced that this sucker is FULL of that very thing.

If you’ve read it, what do you think?

Check back for a full report. Our entire staff is reading it, and we’ll be discussing in a few weeks…

Undergoing Major Change May 28, 2009

At last year’s Leadership Summit I was introduced to Carly Fiorina.  She was a dynamic, engaging speaker and I was captivated, listening to a strong woman talk about leadership and empowerment.  I picked up her book, Tough Choices, and have referred to it off and on throughout the past several months.  

Truth be told, I’m just reading it VERY slowly – it’s sort of a monthly devotional book for me, with constant encouragement and information about leadership.  

Okay.  Honest truth?  It’s in the bathroom.

Midway through the book Fiorina talks about the creation of Lucent Technologies, which arose out of AT&T getting rid of a collection of assets called Newco. She was tapped to be Executive VP of Corporate Operations.  Here’s what she says:

“For some, the words aspiration and inspiration are mumbo jumbo; or hype; or soft, nonoperational stuff. These are people who forget that every income statement and balance sheet in the world is produced by the everyday hard work of everyday people. And people achieve more when they’re motivated by a purpose worthy of their efforts. They align their individual actions in to a more powerful collective effort when they know they strive for a common and commonly understood goal. Nowhere are aspiration and inspiration more important than in a large, complex organization undergoing major change. In large companies myriad actions taken and countless small decisions made must add up to the bottom line. And in a period of change, each employee must break old habits and learn new skills, and every employee’s actions and decisions must align in new ways to produce something different.”

In the midst of everything that we are doing as PCC staff members, in spite of what we’re feeling and experiencing on a personal level, regardless of the current status of our personal relationship with God, we are in the middle of some major changes at PCC. We are the folks who are not only doing the “everyday work of everyday people”, but we are also inspiring and leading volunteers who are doing the same thing as they serve at PCC.

We each have unique goals for our ministry areas that are hopefully clearly and commonly understood by those folks who serve with us. But I think it’s important to still remember that we are, technically speaking, a “large, complex organization undergoing major change.”

Our mission is to reach and lead. That is the purpose worthy of our efforts. Lives are changing because of what God’s spirit is doing through PCC.

I just want to challenge each of us – myself included – to continue to live in the awareness of the challenges of change, and to take to heart the necessity of breaking old habits, learning new skills and aligning our actions and decisions in new ways. God is using us – and he is also changing us, through this time of change. It’s a remarkable thing that ultimately results in eternal impact for our community. We are led by a senior pastor and an executive pastor – but we are also given the great responsibility and even the luxury of leading ourselves.

I’m focusing on praying for us as a body today, and thankful that God’s drawn us all together for the sake of His name.

Cross-posted at Words Matter

Doing Church The Way God Called Us To Do It April 18, 2009

Home.  Sitting in Panera waiting on results from a local show choir competition.  Here, engaged, but not really here….

Feeling convicted about my “Dear 21st Century Church” post.  Seems like I either didn’t explain myself very well or there was something bitter running through the entire thing experience that leached through.  In spite of three edits, I didn’t see it.  Still not sure what it is.

I don’t want to offend or be a stumbling block.  I took the post down.

And then I read this today, from Perry Noble’s blog, which is far more powerful than anything I could ever dream up to say about any other church experience.

“One of the things that I always teach here at NewSpring Church is that we do not have the corner on the market when it comes to a movement of God. We aren’t doing church “the right way.” We aren’t doing church a better way. We are doing church the way God called us to do it…and if another church is doing what God has called them to do and people are being reached, lives are being changed, sin is being repented of, the excluded are being included, teenagers are discovering their potential in Christ, marriages are being restored and children are learning about Jesus and so on…who in the world would want to criticize that? (Answer – satan…just in case you were curious!)” – Perry Noble

Let’s just leave it at that, shall we?

I’m sorry.

Mad Church Disease: Overcoming The Burnout Epidemic April 16, 2009

If you read a book on burn out, and realize that a lot of what you’re reading seems very familiar, you pay attention.

Anne Jackson grew up as a pastor’s kid in traditional church settings.  She’s seen what church life can be like from a kid’s perspective, and she’s experienced her own personal challenges.  In Mad Church Disease, Anne writes very honestly about the risk factors, both external and internal.  She’s frank about our tendency as humans – and particularly as church leaders – to lead extremely unhealthy lives.  And she’s precise without being preachy about what it takes to get better.  She writes honestly about her own struggles and the unhealthy ways she chose to cope.

This book, along with John Burke’s No Perfect People Allowed, really struck a chord with me. I’m still processing a lot of what I’ve read on a personal level; bits and pieces about manipulative tendencies, living out of false assumptions, codependency, confusion about my value outside of my work.  My belief that I have to work seven days a week in order for the world to keep spinning.  Lots of junk, just like the rest of us.

But then I read this:

“We cannot be dependent on ourselves and on God at the same time.  When we consider the practice of rest unnecessary, we will also inevitably lose sight of the necessity of God.”  Anne Jackson

And I’m learning.

One of the greatest benefits of this week was the chance to walk for two hours today, down to the end of the island and back.  All along the way, I thought and processed and reflected on where I’ve been.  And where I’m headed.  I’ve read four books this week, and spent time reading the Bible, and thought and planned and contemplated.

I’ve thought about my personal life.  I’ve thought about my work life.  I’ve thought about my passion for the local church.

I can’t say for sure what lies ahead.  None of us can. 

But I am certain that my path is covered, above, below and all around, by grace.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Undeserved, unearned, a gift from God.  A privilege and an honor.

By the way, I’d recommend that anybody who serves a church in any capacity read this book. Anybody.  It’s worth it, for the sake of that to which we are called.

Anne quotes Oswald Chambers in one of the most powerful parts of the book:

“If you want to be of use to God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying focused on him, and he will make use of you every minute you live- yet you will be unaware, on the conscious level of your life, that you are being used of him.” Oswald Chambers

Boy, I love that.

You can learn more from Anne Jackson and the work to which God has called her on her blog.

Less Clutter. Less Noise. Still Overwhelmed. April 16, 2009

Finished book #3 of this study break; Kem Meyer‘s Less Clutter. Less Noise.  Subtitled “Beyond Bulletins, Brochures and Bake Sales”, it’s a look at how to maximize effectiveness of communication, focused on the church environment, in light of the information overload systems in place in our current culture.

Kem comes out of a corporate background, which gives her a ton of credibility.  She’s not “churchy” at all, but a serious appreciation for the work of Jesus in her life underlies her book.

I was surprised to find a good bit of the book’s content has a prior life on her blog.  It was good there, and it’s good here – but I’d already seen and heard a lot of this.  However, it’ll be a great resource to get into the hands of people working in communications at our church.

As I processed this info, one thing kept coming to mind:  I’m insane.  I’m trying to manage communications from a staff perspective – which really isn’t happening at all, or at least in any way that seems cohesive.  And yet we’ve revamped our website and continue to dialogue about future improvements; we’ve altered the program and returned to in-house publication, saving stress and money; we’ve enlisted the work of an incredible graphic designer; we’re trying to streamline our efforts.  

But this is a full-time occupation.  And trying to juggle musicians and service planning and production team and programming – whew!  Perhaps lesson numero uno from study break is this:  

Women Who Try To Do Too Much And Why They’re Stressed

Well, regardless, here’s some great info from Kem’s book;

• It’s not what you say; it’s what people hear.
• Information is now so inexpensive and plentiful that most of it ends up being overlooked, ignored or tossed like garbage.  (True, this.)
• People’s needs drive their attention; they notice what will benefit them.
• Get real instead of trying to appear real.
• Everything you do (in communcations) is an extension of your story.
• Simplify the problem – don’t complicate the solution.
• Every person in your church is a walking billboard.
• Before you spend money on marketing, spend money on improving the people skills of your people (like reading the same book, training, vision-casting, etc.)

Kem says she wrote this book for the short attention span.  Initially, I found this really difficult. It’s interesting to note that my approach to printed information in a book is different than my web experience; I don’t want a book to be like a blog.  I want a more leisurely experience; I want a book experience.  Just another example of how people receive and interpret communicated information, I guess.

Great information, though.  This woman is a gold mine.  

Creating Culture April 15, 2009

Just finished my second book of the week, John Burke’s No Perfect People Allowed.  Great book, full of grace-filled stories that made me cry more than once.  Burke is the lead pastor at Gateway Church in Austin.

I took a few notes but was drawn into the book more holistically than I expected, so the note-taking was minimal.  Initially I was underlining passages with glee – until I realized that this copy belongs to someone else.  My pastor, actually.  I hope he doesn’t mind that I wrote all over the first chapter in his book.

A few salient points from my reading:

• Burke quotes Barna in a profound statement about the church’s role in today’s world:  “(…the role the church must play is) that of a loving, authoritative, healing and compelling influence on the world.”  Boy, I love that – loving, authoritative, healing and compelling.  Sounds a lot like Jesus.
• Truth has become relational.  That’s why our stories matter so much.  Jesus manifests His presence through His work in people’s lives.
• We are dealing with a generation of chaos, often a result of a lack of trust.  So many people have been damaged by families and relationships – how can they easily trust in God?
• People resist arrogance – one of the questions they will ask when they look at Christians is, “Do I want to be like you?”  If the answer is no, we have a problem.
• Burke says “Nothing has been more difficult for me than to watch people react in destructive ways to brokenness.”  Acting out of brokenness – even as a believer – can destroy you.  The church must be a lighthouse of hope.
• Burke says, “Statements like ‘Christ died for your sins’ and ‘God so loved the world’ have been leached of all meaning for today’s seekers.”  They won’t believe it until they experience it from those who claim to follow Him.
• “To create a culture of grace, a leader must first experience grace – then give it out liberally.”  (Excuse me for a moment while I thank God for this, which has been my experience and which has been the impetus for my present situation.  For which I am thankful, and by which I am overwhelmed….)
• Give up trying to fix people.  Accept and love them in order to reconnect them with God. 
• In order to lead others, you have to willingly follow God.

The book’s most compelling section is titled Mental Monogamy:  Creating a Culture of Sexual Wholeness.  It’s a fascinating, honest look at the way culture interprets and internalizes sexual behavior.  Burke quotes Mike Starkey, who says, “Ours is a culture crying out for intimacy, but only able to conceive of accessing it through sex.”  It’s a great discussion of why God’s wisdom and ways bring life, and how that applies to our sexuality.  Burke focuses on helping people become rightly related to God and truly willing to follow Christ, then guiding them to the freedom of following his ways.  He says, “If we try to force people to morally approximate the gospel before they have the source of life-giving water, we spiritually dehydrate them.”  It’s a great examination of why and how God’s plan for sexual wholeness comes with the mandate for sexual intimacy to be within the confines of the marriage bed, and how the church can create a culture for restoration and sexual wholeness so that God’s spirit can change hearts and heal lives.

Good stuff; lots of inspiration here for ministry, for our church, for the future.  Burke’s book is incredibly moving, with powerful stories from real people who were turned off by Christians and by the church, but drawn to into relationship with Jesus once the cultural clutter was cleared away.

Lots for me to think about and process.

Creating Magic April 13, 2009

Day one – didn’t fare so well with the technology fast.  But I’m happy with the results.  I have NOT been enslaved to the computer, and that’s been a very good thing.

Had a great time in the eleventh chapter of Matthew; I continue to be fascinated and enthralled by the man that I follow.  Finding myself constantly astounded by what feel like new revelations; I’ve been in church ALL my life, been a committed Christian for twenty years – and yet it seems that every single day, something new and different appears.  It was a source of wonder and joy today, and gratitude.  I’m sure it’s a combination of experience, time, circumstances and situations – all wrapped together by the active and alive mystery of faith.  Way cool.  It was great to have some time to just soak in all that today.

I found myself crying a lot this afternoon, moved by music, by words…and I am not quite sure what to make of that.  Again, there are pools of gratitude all around.  It’s not necessarily sorrow, but some emotional release.  I imagine I’ll have some understanding before the end of the week.

It is really, really cold here – at least in terms of what you might think of as “beach weather”.  I walked today and found myself quite miserable.  No sun, either.  But I’m not complaining….

Major in-depth work today was in this book; written by Lee Cockerell, Creating Magic is his “10 common-sense leadership strategies from a life at Disney”.  Much of it I find very familiar in terms of what has evolved into some intuitive practices in my own leadership.  Much of it is exciting, and a great reminder of what really matters.  Frankly, I’m a bit surprised at how much I like this book – and how endearing it is.

Here are a few bullet points that I found particularly intriguing or affirming:

• Leadership starts with respect for all people.
• Effective leaders work hard to create democratic, participatory environments (sounds like a church volunteer structure to me).
• Achieve leadership excellence by spreading responsibility and authority throughout the organization; anyone at any level can exert leadership and make a positive difference.
• Leadership means making the right things happen by bringing out the best in others (alot like being a mom!).
• Authority is nothing without good relationship skills.
• Virtually every problem or conflict in the world can be traced to a leadership failure.
• Everyone matters and everyone knows he or she matters.
• One vital question:  ”Is there anything else you think I should know?”

That’s just the first bit.  I’ve a ways more to go, but so far, I’ve found this to be throught-provoking and encouraging.  Our church is growing, as our my responsibilities.  Structural change (another topic Cockerell addresses, which I’m still processing) is on top of us.  I want to be ready and be effective.