Category: Leadership (page 19 of 30)

Software tools I’m using right now

March 28, 2011 / / 10 Comments

You probably already know about Hootsuite as a Twitter client…and hopefully you use it.  I do. See why HERE.

You also probably already have an RSS reader (see my explanation of what RSS is HERE). No?  Then check out NetNewsWire (and my review HERE). I love how it syncs with my iPhone, and I can stay within the application to leave comments, ReTweet, and subscribe to new feeds.

But I want to tell you about a couple of software tools I’m using right now that are helping me to be more productive.

Productivity apps

Evernote – I use Evernote primarily for idea capture.  When I have an idea I want to remember, I record it in Evernote.  I used to use a Moleskine notebook to write things down…or whatever paper I found closest to me.  But what kept happening is that I would lose the paper, or didn’t have my notebook with me when I needed it.  Evernote is with me wherever I go…as long as I have my phone or computer with me…and it syncs up between my devices.

In addition to capturing ideas, I also use it when there’s a website or blog I need to go back and check later.  I just click the Evernote icon that I have installed as a plugin for Google Chrome (details on how to do that HERE), the web browser I use.

Wunderlist – I use Wunderlist for ongoing task management.  Whenever I have a task, I just add it to Wunderlist.  If I need a reminder, Wunderlist can send push notifications to my phone.

I have my lists divided up into the various areas that I am responsible for at work.  Each area has its own list.  So over the course of time, whether leading up to meetings or for projects I’m working on, I just add them to the list and don’t have to worry about forgetting to talk about it in the next meeting.

I can also share my lists, and have others collaborate on them, by clicking the icon and sending collaborators an email.  And when we make a change, it’s reflected on everybody’s lists.

The great news is that both of these applications are free cross-platform.  Meaning that they’re free as a desktop client or a mobile application.

Which means that you have no good excuse to not give these a shot.

Are there tools you’re using right now that are helping you be more productive?

 

Don’t be “too good” for me

March 27, 2011 / / 7 Comments

I am a learner.  And as such, I actually enjoy learning.

And when I started out as small groups pastor at Grace Community Church, I had no idea what I was doing.  Some days, I still feel like that.

So I started looking for a tribe.  I read books.  Blogs.  Twitter accounts.  I went to conferences.  Sent emails.  Made phone calls.  I just knew there had to be a tribe out there.

And I grew a ton through this process.  But I got a myriad of no-responses.  Or responses that went something like,

Well, I will be at this conference, and we can talk there…if you’re able to get to Dallas…tomorrow by 6 am.

I was just trying to build some relationships and learn from guys who had been blazing the path I was peering down.

The problem was that these guys were ‘too big’ for me. They were a bit too important to talk with a rookie in Tennessee. (although rock stars Heather Zempel, Alan Danielson, Mark Howell, and Rick Howerton (just to name a few) actually did take time to answer emails and phone calls…thanks guys!).

I never want to get so important that I can’t schedule time to talk with another person who wants to learn from my mistakes.  I never want to be the big shot that can’t walk someone else through principles that have helped me grow as a young pastor.

If I ever get that ‘important’ I have done something wrong.  The day that happens, please unfollow me on Twitter, block me on Facebook, and unsubscribe to my blog.  I’m not worth following at that point.*

Pride goes before destruction,
and haughtiness before a fall.

Better to live humbly with the poor
than to share plunder with the proud. – Proverbs 16:18-19

Will you give up the plunder with me?

*Note to future self: you’re not as awesome as you think you are.

 

Leading with integrity

March 21, 2011 / / 3 Comments
It doesn’t matter where you are, what you’re doing, or how you’re wired…you can lead with integrity.

It’s easy to get frustrated in your work because

  • you’re not working where you want to be working
  • you’re not making the money you want to be making
  • you’re not making the difference you want to be making
  • you are in a dead-end job
  • your boss is tough to work for
  • you’re not maximizing your strengths
  • you work behind a desk
  • you work outside in the elements
  • you have to answer too many emails
  • you’re given too much structure
  • you aren’t given any structure
  • you have too much on your plate
  • you have too little on your plate

And maybe those are all things that you need to work on changing.  Maybe you should change positions.  Or careers.  Or cities.  But one fact remains.

You can always lead with integrity.

Joseph did.

  • Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard, left all that he owned in Joseph’s care because he trusted Joseph. (Genesis 39: 3-6)
  • Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph to sleep with her…Joseph chose to run away.  (Genesis 39:6-12)  That takes some character.
  • Joseph led and influenced while he was in prison (though he was unjustly accused and prosecuted), gaining the favor and trust of the keeper of the prison. (Genesis 39:19-23)
  • When he was finally released from prison, he didn’t choose bitterness, but trusted God and spoke the truth to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said of Joseph: “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”  That’s leading with integrity.
  • Joseph fairly sold food to the Egyptians during the famine.  Integret-ous?  Yeppers.

Was Joseph treated fairly?  Did he have a loving boss?  Was he consistently working in an optimum working environment?  Was he always able to maximize his strengths?

Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.

But he led with integrity.  Always.

And so can you.

Integrity isn’t based on your circumstances.  It’s rooted in your heart.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Colossians 3:23)

 

How to get your inbox to Zero in 1 click

March 21, 2011 / / 3 Comments

Michael Hyatt has some great suggestions for staying on top of your email HERE.

But personally, my way is much faster, cleaner, and lets you get on with the rest of your day before 8:05.

How to get your email inbox to zero in 1 click:

 

I hate…

March 13, 2011 / / 10 Comments

I hate…

…when I fart, thinking I’m all alone, then someone walks up to talk with me. (ok, come on…you know you do it)

…when I can’t find something I know is right beside me

…when I’m dead tired, but have to stay awake

…working inside on beautiful days

…”Say Yes to the Dress”

…sparkling water

…being late

…lima beans

…sitting still

A little heavier

I hate…

…that “church people” are often the reason that the unchurched don’t attend.

…to see fathers not engaged with their children.

…to see husbands not treating their wife like their princess

…to see people who are paralyzed by their fears.

…when people won’t accept grace, but live in guilt and shame.

…that some moms have to raise their children alone.

…injustice.

…that the Church isn’t a healthier community.

…to see people making bad choices after bad choices.

What do you hate?

 

Excluding visitors from small groups?

March 9, 2011 / / 17 Comments

Michael McKinley wrote this on the 9Marks Blog:

So in our church, non-members are welcome to attend and participate in the public services of the church.  We are happy to have them in our Sunday morning gathering, our Sunday evening gathering, and our fellowship meals.

But we don’t let people attend small groups…until they are members.

 

This statement shocks me, and runs countercultural to what we, as a church are trying to accomplish.  We never want to exclude new folks from being a part of our small groups, because we believe that the best way to get connected, grow in your faith, and become a disciple of Christ is in the context of small groups.

If we were to exclude visitors from linking up with small groups, we would, in effect, be saying that we value church membership over discipleship.

I’m not ready to make a statement like that.

Discipleship doesn’t start when you become a church member.

But maybe I’m wrong.

What do you think?

Should visitors be excluded from small groups, until they become members?

 

It’s time to fail

March 8, 2011 / / 7 Comments

Maybe it’s about time you failed.

(image by ArtMoth.com)

I remember when I didn’t make the varsity baseball team in high school.  I was crushed.  But through that, I ended up quitting baseball to pursue golf, a sport I turned out to be pretty good at.

In seminary, I absolutely bombed a paper that I thought was one of my better projects.  Through that, I worked hard to refine my writing, and in the process, found a great love of writing.

The first small group my wife and I were a part of (in Louisville, KY) was an abysmal failure.  I didn’t want that to happen to us, or anyone else, again.  Now I’m a small groups pastor.

The New Testament Church was led by a guy named Peter.  Don’t forget that he had an epic fail, where his pride was kicked in the teeth.  He thought he was ready to die for Jesus.  He wasn’t (John 13:37-38).  His pride would even need to be kicked again a little later. (Galatians 2:11-21) And it needed to be in order for God to use Peter.

Why you need to fail

It’s through failure that we learn what we’re not that great at. Here’s a shocker: you’re not great at everything.  God’s gifted each person uniquely…you included.  We may not always find that gifting on our first shot.  Be open to other ideas than what you’ve always thought or been told.  Maybe your failure is a good indication that you need to try something else.

It’s through failure that we find out which ideas aren’t the best. Failure becomes a way of culling out the ideas, projects, programs, and directions that needed to go.

It’s through failure that we are motivated. Who wants to fail twice?  Failure pushes you to work harder, more efficiently, and lean more heavily on others.  Failure is a great deterrent to future failure.

It’s through failure that God comforts us. It’s hard to experience comfort without some level of failure. (see Lamentations 3:16-23)

It’s through failure that our pride is sucker-punched. If you were as awesome as you thought you were, you’d not have failed.  As John Ortberg says, “There is a God, and it is not you.”

As valuable as failure is, I still find myself consistently praying, “Lord, please help this _______ to go really well.”  Or, “Lord, you want this __________ to succeed more than I do…”  Or, “Lord, help this idea to not fall flat on its face.”

Maybe I should start praying, “Lord, maybe this needs to flop.  You know best.  Help me grow in the process.  Chip away the parts of me that don’t look like You.  Grow your Church.  Knock down my pride.  Renew my faith in Your plan.”

Is there an area of your leadership or your life that needs to fail?

Have you seen God grow you more through failure or through success?

 

Removing the competition

March 4, 2011 / / 4 Comments

(graphic by Aaron Justin)

The bigger a church gets, the more the tendency creeps in for the church to offer more and more programs.

More nights of the week.

With more variety.

Seemingly meeting more needs.

But the more you offer, the more you show how little you believe in each one of them.  Allow me to explain.

If I believe that Justin Bieber-style music is the way that people truly experience God through song on Sunday mornings in our context (I don’t…but just hang with me), then I’m not going to let any other genre of music happen on stage.  I’m going to work my tail off to get more and more Bieber music in front of the congregation.  I’m going to have CDs ready for people as they leave.  I’m going to find musicians who are gifted pop artists.  I’m going to recruit volunteers who have an ear for the way creative pop music can/should sound.  And if I’m asked, “Can we start incorporating country music into our worship experience, because we used to do that at my last church, and I liked it…” I can easily say, “No.”  Not because there’s anything wrong with country music, but because in our context, Bieber is the most effective.

If we open up the door for country music as well, what we’re saying is that your spiritual growth isn’t that important.  We’re diluting the water with things less important.  Things less effective.  And what we’re communicating is that we don’t strive first and foremost to help you best understand the Gospel…we strive first and foremost to make you happy, and keep you from leaving.  Because if we believed that the Gospel was first and foremost, we would do that thing that most effectively helps you understand and apply it.

Adding more and more programs sounds great.  It sounds like you’re doing the right thing.

But instead of adding more, try honing in.  Figure out the most effective thing you’re doing to help create disciples on Sunday morning…and do that with excellence.  Figure out the most effective thing you’re doing to create disciples in small groups (whether that’s Sunday school, home groups, cell groups, or shallow small groups like THIS), and do that well.

The more programs you offer, the thinner you spread your volunteer base.

The more programs you offer, the weaker each becomes in the mind of your congregation.

The more programs you offer, the more your people are encouraged to do “church” stuff, instead of investing in their family and in their community.

So next time someone says, “Can we start doing __________ program,” you may just want to say no.

Have you ever said, “No” to a program idea?

Have you ever said, “Yes,” but wish you’d said, “No”?

 

Build. Tear down. Build again.

March 3, 2011 / / 9 Comments

In Genesis 1: 28, God tells Adam and Eve to

Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.

The charge “Be fruitful and increase in number” refers directly (and obviously) to having children, but I don’t think that it’s limited to childbearing.  Why?

  1. Because the passage immediately moves to ruling over the animals and the earth.  Why we enjoy progress.  And growth.  And building.
  2. Because I see this passage as being related to our creation in the image of God.  And since everybody can’t bear children, the passage must have applications beyond that.

This passage gives an explanation to something I’ve had stirring in my heart since I was born.  Something I see playing out in my life every day.  And something I see in my 2 year old son.

The desire to build.

One of my son’s favorite toys is his LEGOs.  He loves to get them out of the bucket and connect them together, building his tower higher and higher, wider and wider.  And then, as if that was the whole point in building it…he knocks it down, squeals with joy, and starts over again.  And he always wants me on the ground playing with him, feeding him more blocks, and connecting them to make his “building” bigger and better.

And I’m convinced that this is part of his being created in the image of God.  Building things from “scratch.”  Repairing broken things.  Making things taller, wider, and stronger.

And you know what…I have that same desire.

Not to spend my days playing with LEGOs.  But in creating a higher, deeper, and more sound structure for our church and small groups.  I want “every living creature that moves on the ground” to experience the width and length and height and depth of the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:18).

I want to add more volunteers.  Add more curriculum.  Make our trainings more effective.  Produce more disciples.  Make our connection events easier to navigate.

Then knock down the portions that aren’t working as effectively so that we can build the structure even better.

And I’m convinced that this is part of being created in the image of God.

Our desire to build structures, systems, ourselves and others is connected with our being created to “fill the earth and subdue it.”

And this helps us to know why we’re frustrated by a lack of progress.  And why, when we’re not meeting our goals, that gets on our nerves.  And when a project takes longer than normal to complete, why we want to change things up to continue progressing.

Ever talked with someone who has no idea where they’re headed in life?  They’re unnerved by that, aren’t they?

Because we were created to build, and grow, and create, and refine, and progress.

It’s part of who we are as God’s creatures.

Ever been frustrated by a lack of growth?


Ever found yourself just wanting to knock things down so you can build something stronger?


Do you play with LEGOs?

 

You probably wouldn’t like my small group

February 28, 2011 / / 10 Comments

If you’re looking for a small group, you probably wouldn’t like mine.

Why you won’t like my small group

  • Nobody’s perfect. Our group is rather messy…in fact, much messier than I ever thought it would be.  If your life is clean and put together, and messiness frustrates you, you’ll hate our group.
  • We celebrate small steps, not just the ‘huge’ ones. And small steps may seem insignificant to you, so if you’re not willing to get excited over a step towards Jesus (no matter how seemingly insignificant), you’ll not feel at home with us.
  • There’s no teacher. Just a facilitator.  And the facilitator doesn’t have all of the answers, so if it’s merely answers you’re looking for, mosey on.
  • We talk about challenging stuff. And I don’t mean that we debate obscure theological dogma.  I mean that we work to apply the Scriptures to our lives.  If you love a great, obscure theological debate, you may not enjoy our group.
  • We expect full participation. Nobody in our group is lazy.  In one way or another, every member participates, and is vital to the success of the group as a whole.  If you want to be a lazy sponge, don’t join us.
  • We know each other’s stories. No hiding in our group.  Our group kicked off its first month by encouraging everybody in the group to share their faith story.  Comfortable?  Nope.  This group’s not for you.
  • We’re transparent. Mere platitudes aren’t acceptable.  If all of your answers start with, “Someone once said…” instead of, “I am dealing with…” then you’ll never be comfortable in our small group.
  • We’re diverse. If you’re looking for people that are just like you, who look, smell, act, read the same books, live on the same side of town, have the same number of kids…keep moving.  You’re not going to find that here.
  • Our group is going to end soon, and I’m going to ask each group member to take a step of faith and lead a new group…each one of them. No moss will be gathering with us.  If you like moss, find another group.
  • We serve together. Don’t want to serve?  That’s fine.  Just don’t get frustrated with us when we ask you to join us in making a difference in our community.
  • We have fun. Every week.  We laugh so hard that we snort.  We play games, share stories, and study the Bible…all while having fun.  I wrote more extensively about the importance of having fun in small groups HERE.  If you don’t like having fun, you’re an old codger.  And old codgers don’t last long in our group.

Based on the reasons above, would you want to join my small group?

 
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