So What Are You Doing About It?

I subscribe to a few marketing blogs, not because I believe marketing will make a church grow, but because their creativity inspires me. I came across this article the other day and was intrigued with Denny's approach to reach the college-age demographic. I'm impressed that the folks at Denny's didn't just bemoan the fact that they weren't having the impact among college students that they could have. Instead, they went out and did something about it.

What is it you're not happy with in your church? What are you doing about it? Link

Finances & 20 Year Olds

Here's a pretty informative article from MSN Money about the finances of those in their 20's. Many of you have a good number of 20 year olds in your congregations, and/or you're trying to reach this age group with the good news of Jesus, so this is definitely applicable. Link

Reading Tips

Here are some tips from Rick Warren for getting the most out of your reading time. On a personal note, when I was on staff (voluntary) w/ Rick years ago he would read a book a day! The man knows something about reading. Link

The Root of The Problem

It's quite interesting to see how people are reacting to the Virginia Tech shooting spree. It is actually laughable to see that some of the supposed experts believe this issue can be solved by more education or exercising more control, (just to name a few of the possible solutions being discussed). I was motivated by reading Perry Noble's (NewSpring Church) latest blog post about this horrific event. I like what he has to say and I think you'll benefit from his thoughts as well. Link

Freedom Writers

I'm not usually in the habit of recommending movies, but I couldn't help but recommend Hilary Swank's new movie Freedom Writers. Gayle and I watched it on DVD last week and were both quite inspired. As a leader I was challenged by the task confronting teacher Erin Gruwell to communicate something of value (in her case, English) to those who were initially disinterested to say the least. It's also a great movie about breaking racial barriers that separate us. The movie had a number of spiritual parallels throughout. I think you'll enjoy it. As usual, let me know what you think.

(Please note that there is some crude language in a few spots, which would not be appropriate for small children.)

Anyone Up For A Meeting?

Marketing guru Seth Godin has some creative things to say about meetings in his recent blog. Somewhere along the line leaders need to figure out how to conduct effective meetings. Too much time is wasted in meetings that aren't all that helpful. Here's the link.

A New Way To Subscribe

Subscribing to this blog just got a whole lot easier and more convenient. All you have to do is fill in your email address in the blank on the right and click "subscribe". Once you do this, you'll be asked to confirm some squirrly letters, upon which you will receive an email confirmation. Once you validate the email you receive you will receive an email directly to your inbox every time I create a new post!

I hope this helps and as usual, let me know what you think!

WOW, What a Book

I just finished Jim Collins' book, Good to Great and The Social Sectors and I highly recommend that all church leaders read it, especially those of you who are primary leaders. Collins had my full attention at the outset when he said, "We must reject the idea--well-intentioned, but dead wrong--that the primary path to greatness in the social sectors is to become 'more like a business.'" I picked up the following three important lessons from the book.

1. How to get things done within a diffuse power structure. One of my favorite quotes from the book is by Frances Hesselbein (former National Executive Director of the Girl Scouts). When asked how she transformed the Girl Scouts into a leading nonprofit organization without concentrated executive power, she said, "Oh, you always have power, if you just know where to find it. There is the power of inclusion, and the power of language, and the power of shared interests, and the power of coalition. Power is all around you to draw upon, but it is rarely raw, rarely visible."
2. One of the best ways to "get the right people on the bus" (as Collins puts it) for a non-porfit organization is to use "early assessment mechanisms." In other words, rather than make someone a small group leader for life try having them serve for three months, at which time you evaluate their ability to fulfill the responsibilities.
3. The Hedgehog Concept. You'll have to read the book to find out what it's all about.

The book is very short, only 34 pages, so it won't take you long to finish. Once you're done however, you'll need to take some time to think about what you've read and how you're going to apply it. As usual, let me know what you think!

Improving Your Church's Communication

How we communicate things, both inside and outside the church is one of those things that may not seem all that significant, when in reality it is absolutely strategic to accomplishing the mission God has for us. The best intentions amount to nothing if plans, events, strategies, etc, are not communicated well. Cory Miller offers some very helpful hints as to how to improve our communication within our church. Link

Cool New Website

I came across a really cool website that offers a helpful service. The name of the site is Jott and this is how it works. Once you register with Jott you add contacts to the site. Next, you enter Jott's toll-free number into your cell phone. When you're out and about and you need to email someone, you simply call Jott. A recorded voice asks you whom you want to send a message to. Then you record the message. Jott transcribes your message and sends them an email. If you enter a cell phone number into the person's contact info Jott will send them a text message as well. One of the cool features is that you can set up groups in your contact info. Check it out and let me know what you think.

How do I subscribe to your blog?

Because I'm asked quite often how to subscribe to my blog I thought I'd post some easy instructions.

1. Subscribe to a blog reader such as Google Reader. (If you do not have a Google account you can sign up for one free.)
2. Click on the RSS feed icon on my blog site. It is the orange icon just above the eye chart. This will take you to a new url address.
3. Copy and paste this new url address into Google Reader (or whatever blog reader you use).
4. Whenever I create a new post Google Reader will let you know. I suggest using Google as your home page and adding Google Reader to your Google home page.

I hope this helps.

Volunteer Help

Thanks to Heather Sweetman for providing me with a couple of links that will make your search for volunteering a whole lot easier. Volunteer Solutions and Volunteer Match are helpful sites that will provide you with information on programs in your area that are in need of volunteers. If you are unsure of how to get your church involved in the community these sites are a great place to start.