Church and Culture

So I recently was labeled "Seeker Friendly" for the first time in my life.

If you don't know, that is a "religious" way to point the finger at another ministry and tell them that they "water down" G0d's word, they will do or say anything to get a crowd, they have no depth, and they don't preach the whole counsel of God.

These people say these things not because of what I say, but because of who is listening.

I really don't know of another person/pastor who preaches what or how I preach.  I am very straightforward, to say it mildly, and I never back away from tough issues.

That said, I will say this again, These people say these things not because of what I say, but because of who is listening.

The culture is listening.  Teenagers are listening.  Leaders are listening.  "Sinners" are listening.  Believers are listening.  Outsiders and Insiders are listening.  People are listening and lives are being changed and that makes religious people jealous and angry.  

Religious people assume that just because outsiders and teenagers want to come and listen to a dude speak, in a church, we must be selling out.  

I got news for you!  The message of the Gospel is more attractive to the outsider than the insider!  It was the outsiders who ran to Jesus, the insiders kept him at a distance and just "kept their eyes on him to see if he would make a mistake." 

In the history of this ministry I have never asked this question, "How can we get more people to come to our church?"

People just come.  They invite their friends and keep coming back.  

I have never said, "Let's be cool, or relevant."  We just are.

This is who we are.  This is not a gimmick or a program.  Programs are dead!

With all of that said, watch this video its real short but so true.

Where is the Wisdom...4

Yes, You need to read this one!

Why do we pass by scripture without letting it pass through us?

Read this scripture, then think about it, then read it out loud to yourself again.

"Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth;

avoid careless banter, white lies, gossip.

Keep your eyes straight ahead;

ignore all sideshow distractions.

Watch your step,

and the road will stretch out smooth before you.

Look neither right nor left;

leave evil in the dust."

Are you getting sidetracked and distracted from your priorities in life?

I know you say that God is in the #1 spot, but is He really?  Could someone see that from your schedule?  Could we tell from your finances or from your relationships with others?

This life is full of distractions, are you distracted?

Read, think, Pray about this scripture and how it could affect your life.  Do it!  Slow down, you know you should.

The contemplative life is calling you.  Slow Down, Read, think, Pray, and then live what God speaks to you today.

This is Lectio Divina, spiritual reading. 

Where is the Wisdom...3

"Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the adulterous woman.  She has abandoned her husband and ignores the covenant she made before God.  Entering her house leads to death; it is the road to hell.  The man who visits her is doomed.  He will never reach the paths of life." 2:16-19

"For only the upright will live in the land, and those who have integrity will remain it it."

John Wooden said, "Talent can get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there."

Character is developed through wisdom.

Many people reach their dream job, find their dream spouse, and live in the sweet spot of life but they don't stay there very long because they lack wisdom.

For Men especially, the "immoral woman" is one of the biggest temptations that pulls them away from wisdom.  What we don't realize is that she pulls us away from what we want most.  She pulls us away from our dream job, dream spouse, and dream life.  It feels like electricity for a moment but ends with a shock the reverberates through us for the rest of our lives.  Most people never recover from her paralyzing zap!

If I could very roughly paraphrase this thought it would look like this.

"Yeah men, her ta ta's look real good!  But they are full of deadly poison that will destroy your life, future, dreams, and soul in hell."

Hers is a Siren song.

Catalyst 08

The new website is up.  Check this out.  I am so stoked to take my leadership team here this year.

Where is the Wisdom...2

Proverbs 1:4 "These proverbs will make the simpleminded clever.  They will give knowledge and purpose to young people."

We miss the importance of this book when we fly through it.  We lose the value in the principles that are found on it's pages when we just "read" them and move on to the next verse.  

Proverbs is better read thought by thought with much contemplation.   Don't be taunted by the chapters, you don't need to read a whole chapter a day.  Yes, it's real easy to speed through this book but thats like taking prime rib, putting ketchup on it and eating it as fast as you can.  Don't you want to savor the flavor?  Don't you want to really get the most out of that meal?

Look at this thought. 1:10-19

The new living translations say's it this way, "If sinner's entice you, turn your back on them!"  If you don't, "It will rob you of life."

How hard to understand is that?

Don't try to make it more difficult than it is.  

I know but, but , but! I know the excuses I've heard them a thousand times "But I've been friends with her since high school!"  "We've grown really close", "I don't want him to think I'm "Holier than thou"", "I love her" etc. etc.

Solomon had his excuses too.  He disregarded his own proverb and married hundreds of Pagan women to increase his empire and that was the very thing that ruined his reign and ultimately his legacy.

We all have our excuses for doing the easy thing instead of the right thing.  Question is, will you do the wise thing?

Turning your back on someone does not mean you stop praying for them, thinking about them, or speaking to them.  It means you refuse to put yourself in a position to be influenced by them.  They are no longer an influencer in your life.

Share the wisdom, pass this on to someone today.

Where is the Wisdom...

"Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?" British poet T.S. Elliot once said. 

How can we have so much knowledge and information at our fingertips and still make stupid decisions on a day to day basis?

I know so many people who have great depths of information and knowledge but seem impotent when it comes to applying that knowledge to their life.  They can trick out a car, build computers, run all kinds of advanced technological equipments, perform surgery, and ace advanced tests but then they spend more money than they make, have an affair, or drink and drive.

What the heck is missing?  How can a person be so smart, sharp, and successful but then struggle with day to day decisions?

Wisdom is the lost art of applying information and knowledge to make a good decision.

When making decisions, we ask, "is it wrong?, is it moral?, is it legal?, is it okay?, is it beneficial?"  

What we should be asking is, "is it wise?"  This is not just semantics, there is a fundamental difference in these questions.

So, I am going to take a wisdom walk.  No this isn't some new "Youth group" game similar to prayer walks or whatever.

This is going to be a walk through the wisdom of the book of Proverbs.  

Proverbs is a book full of wisdom, listen to this from Chapter 2.

10  For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will fill you with joy.

11  Wise choices will watch over you.

Understanding will keep you safe.

We need to learn how to make wise decisions.  

What is a good life but a string of good decisions put together.

Wisdom keeps us safe, watches over us, and inevitably fills us with joy.

There is more to making good decisions than being smart.  Have you noticed this in your life or the lives of the people close to you?

KYC update

We have just started a video podcast of our Wed. night service, minus the music, and you can find it here.   It is our first attempt, so the quality is good for the ipod video, but a little lacking for a larger screen.

Kingdom Youth Church is on fire thanks to Jesus Christ!

-4 out of the last 5 weeks we have had continuous record breaking attendance.

-We have over 110 students involved in weekly small groups.

-Our first Fair Trade Coffee Shop is now open in Rock Island.  All of the profits go to defeat poverty and hunger throughout the world!

-New people are coming to Christ every single week and the Quad Cities are buzzing with stories of KYC's passion, excitement, and love for Jesus Christ and other people.

Things we need to keep at the front of our mind.

-Success reveals what is in your heart.  If we get proud and think that we are responsible for what God is doing, we will fall, and it will be ugly!  If we give Him all the glory, and stay humble, then this is just the first step in a long flight of stairs.  God is going to do something in this ministry that this area has never seen or thought possible.

-Our 30 minutes of prayer before the service is the best part of the whole service!  This is the furnace of our Youth Ministry, it makes the worship hot, and the preaching smokin'.

-If you are not in leadership, you need to join up!  Watching God do cool stuff is awesome, but being a part of it is even better.  Students and Adults, find a leadership packet on Wed. at the stuff table.

-Don't forget about your personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Spend time with him daily.  Today, go on a walk, and talk to him.  Go to areopagus, and read your bible.  Hit up starbucks, with a christian friend and get real with each other about your faith.  Connect with your creator today!

I love all you Kingdom peeps!  Let's keep following God like a fat kid, on a hot summer day, running after the Ice Cream Man!

6 Things everyone should know

Here are some notes from our leadership mtg this last week. 

1. Dress nice

-It doesn’t matter what style you have; your clothes better be clean, ironed, and decent.
-We are a visual society; people will judge you by the way you look
-look in a mirror before you leave the house

2. Find a mentor

-We all need someone who is where we want to be or is headed into that direction and is farther along than we are.
-Be clear with them and ask them to mentor you.
-You can have more than one.

3. Be early and always carry a book with you

-Always be early for meetings, appointments, or interviews.
-If you have to wait it is a great chance to get caught up on some reading.

When meeting with a Mentor- From Perry Noble
                -Always adjust to their schedule
                -Have a list of at least 5 questions to ask
                -Don’t talk about yourself unless they ask
                -Say thanks-with a note, a gift-card, pick up the check, etc.

4. No matter how much you money you make; spend less than you make

-Look rich or be rich
-Talk to my boy kevin and start a Roth IRA, now!  You will thank me when your 30!
-Don’t compare yourself- Comparison is a joy killer!
-Most people spend money they don’t have, on things they don’t need, to impress people they don’t like.
-Tithing is your starting point

5. Over deliver!

-I can’t stand people who do the minimum!
-If you want to be successful you need to make it up in your mind that you will over deliver on every commitment you make, not just the one that pays at the moment!
-this world is full of people and products that over promise and under deliver!
-You can set your self apart by going above and beyond what you say and what is required of you.
-I use to take 15 min. lunch breaks so that I could get more done at work.

6. Meet with Jesus and then look at your calendar every day!

-Your time with Christ is the most important time in all of your day.  Don’t waste it, and don’t blow through it.  Remember, He has your future in His hands.  He knows your purpose, your future spouse, and how to get there.
-After your time with Christ you need to look at your schedule for the day
                 -Remember meetings and prepare for them
                 -Schedule your life, or your life will never be on schedule!

It feels good for a minute...

I just received Final Cut Studio 2 HD in the mail today, $1000.00 later.

I enjoyed it for about 6 minutes before I realized that it takes about 60 gigs to really run this baby and all its goodness.

It only comes with 2 licenses, 1 for a desktop and 1 for a laptop.

It looks like Justin #2's Big Daddy will get a copy, and Nicky T our new video guy will get the other.

A thousand bucks and I don't even get to play with it, just another example of growing pains from a moving ministry.

As the church gets bigger and bigger, my hands will be touching less and less.

Well, at least the box was cool.

One Prayer...

I am pushing hard to be a part of this revolutionary movement of the church in America.  This is going to be really exciting.  I can't wait.  

God make us one!

Last week...

My life might be getting a little out of control again.  Between Areopagus, KYC, Operation Renovation and family I am cheating some important things that I should not be, mainly uninterrupted time alone with God.

Last Week went something like this.

Mon.  

Awake 7 am.  

Plan for meetings 8-8:45

Meetings and Church work 9-5

Dinner 5-6

Panera for message prep 6:30-9

Tues.

Awake 7:30

Start the Siding on my Garage 8 am -9 pm

Wed.  

Awake 7 am

Plan Message/ Church Work/ Meetings 8am- 10 pm

Thurs.

Awake 7 am

Areopagus 8:30-12:30

Leave for Chicago 1:30

Fri

Come home from Chicago 6:30 pm

Work on garage 7-11:30 pm

Sat.

Awake 7 am

MMA training 8-12

Operation Renovation 12:30-5:30

Paranormal Investigating 9 pm-3:30 am

Sun.

Awake 9 am

Church 10 am-1 pm

Leadership Prep 1-5 pm

Leadership Mtg. 7-8

Small group mtg. 8-9

And now it starts all over again...

Innovation

Apple leads the field because of it.

Google lives by it.

Rick Warren says that with every increase in innovation the church increases it's effectiveness.

It causes some churches to decline while others are thriving.

Are you innovative?  Is your church or business innovative?

I was with a snack pack and without a spoon, this is innovation.

Leadership Lesson in Vision from Newspring's Pastor

I read a great post today on vision by Perry Noble, check it out here.

I am more and more impressed with Perry and his team everyday.  They are doing an awesome work in Anderson, S.C.

I love the notes from Unleash that they gave away, You guys Rock!

The go-giver

I read a book last week by Bob burg and John Mahn called The Go-Giver, and it was really good. To put it very simply, The book is a parable about someone trying to be more successful and juxtaposes a Go-Getter vs. a Go-Giver.

It is a book on business/personal success principles but in reality nearly every principle is founded in the Scriptures.  I found it to be a quick and very encouraging little book.  I am more and more intrigued by these "little" books that have a way of being so powerful.  Who moved my cheese, the purple cow, the dip, making vision stick, all of these books have the power to change your life or outlook on life in one sitting.

Let me give you a quick overview of the principles found in The Go-Giver.

1.  The law of Value

         "Your true worth is determined my how much more you give in value than you take in payment"

         "Most people just laugh when they hear the secret to success is giving.  Then again, most people are nowhere near as successful as they wish they were."

2.  The law of Compensation

        "Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them."

"Your compensation is directly proportional to how many lives you touch."

"If you want more success, find a way to serve more people."

3.  The law of Influence

        "Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first."

4.  The law of Authenticity

        "The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself."

"No matter what you think you are selling, what you are really selling is you. You want great people skills?  Then be a person!"

5.  The law of receptivity

        "The key to affective giving is to stay open to receiving."

Delegation in Ministry part 5

The process of Inspection is a little difficult.

You don't want to over inspect and become too critical and discourage your leaders from making their own decisions, but in the same way, if you under inspect, your leaders can waste a lot of their time running in the wrong direction, arguing over details, or procrastinating.

Delegation without Inspection leads to Disappointment.

Inspection is absolutely vital to keeping team members moving in the right direction throughout a project.  Everything has a natural pull towards chaos, within an organization this is called mission drift, so many roadblocks and detours come up within the life of a project that it becomes increasingly difficult to keep team members on the same page.  Inspection fights mission drift.  It assesses the direction, speed, and overall progress of the team and project.  Inspection also finds weak links.  If a team member is not pulling their weight, or working well with the team, inspection will uncover the potential problem before it has the time to destroy the project.

Inspection can be done through weekly update meetings, emails, or simple progress reports.

The key is that inspection is being done on a consistent and clear basis.

Are you inspecting after you delegate?  If not, you are asking to be disappointed!

If this has been of help to you or your team, pass it on to someone you know.

Delegation in Ministry part 4

After we have communicated all of our expectations to our teams and team leaders the next step in Delegation is stepping back and allowing our people to run with the project.

You cannot micro-manage in this step or you will ruin the delegation process.

This is where you want your leaders to learn to accomplish, innovate, and make the necessary changes without your involvement.  You want them to know how to lead and make big decisions that impact the whole organization in a positive way.  They cannot do that with you micro-managing the details.

We must give them room to make mistakes, learn from them, and then apply what they have learned.  Let your leaders know, that mistakes happen, and remind them not to give up but to learn from them, that is a lesson in leadership.

As you are watching your leaders stumble or sprint through this process of delegation remember to offer words of encouragement.  It is very easy and tempting to just point out the negatives and what they need to improve but it is vital that you reward their efforts with positive reinforcement in front of others to show them that you recognize this increase in responsibility that they have taken on.

Remember you are overseeing the project.  You are not involved in making the micro-decisions, and running the project on a day to day basis.  Step back, and let your leaders lead!

They will love you for it and you will see your strong leaders emerge ready to tackle bigger and better things.  One of my favorite sayings in leadership is "I go with my go'ers!"  Delegation is a great way to find out who your "go'ers" are.

Tomorrow we will talk about, the lost art of "Inspection" in delegation.

If this has been an encouragement to you feel free to pass it on to someone else.

Delegation in Ministry part 3

This is where most Leaders flop.  We just get too busy, or think were to busy to effectively communicate all of our expectations.  So when it comes time to delegate we basically just push the project off on people and we don't communicate everything they need to be successful. 

This is setting your team up for failure! 

Delegation step 2

Communication, Communication, Communication!

Delegation is more than just asking someone to do something.  It is a meeting and agreement between the leader and team members.

Here are 10 questions to ask and address regarding communication during the process of delegation.

1.  What are they supposed to do?  Be very clear!

2.  What are the goals for each team member?

3.  What results do you want to see and in what time frame?

4.  Where do they go to get what they need?  Money, resources, etc.

5.  Who has the delegated authority to make decisions regarding the project, and how much do they have? This should be someone on the team.

6.  Have you gotten an agreement to the parameters by the team members?

7.  What are the team members thoughts and concerns regarding the project?

8.  What are the rewards for outstanding performance?  The consequences for negative performance?

9.  When and how will you monitor their progress and performance?  Weekly updates, daily, etc.

10.  How will you get the team members back on track if they lose focus?

If this was of help, pass it on to your team members.

Delegation in Ministry part 2

Delegation is a necessity.

To multiply your effectiveness, you must improve your delegation skills.

Delegation, Step One:  Plan to Delegate

This is an often overlooked step in the delegation process, but it is a crucial one.  This step will make every subsequent step more favorable to produce your desired outcome.

We have heard it said, "failing to plan is planning to fail."

This is where you would notice the need for delegation, break down the tasks or projects to be delegated, and you would find the right person to delegate the tasks to.

Sounds easy, right?

However, many leaders fail to see the need for delegation.  They are content managing all of the details to every project by themselves.  This is not the most productive or beneficial way to do ministry.

Personally, I have reduced my core job description down to three things.  

1) Preaching 

2) Vision (Determining where our church is heading)

3) Leadership

Everything else should be delegated. 

Listen to this by Peter Economy editor for Leader to Leader.

Decide what to delegate: Determine what you can delegate and whenever possible, delegate the entire task rather than parcelling it out. This increases initiative, gives more control over results, minimises confusion and eliminates unnecessary co-ordination.

Delegate recurring tasks, detail work, attendance at some meetings and activities that will be a part of the team members' future responsibilities. Reserve complex and sensitive issues like performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, counselling and morale problems, confidential tasks, for yourself.

Decide whom to delegate: When assigning a task, consider a person's demonstrated skill, his interest in the task and current workload. Know each person's record for success on similar assignments -- how he works with others, when does he operate best and what abilities he has to work under pressure.

There is no substitute for knowing each team member well, both personally and professionally. Sometimes, be daring. If given the chance, many people can do well at activities they have never attempted before.

The logical person for the task may not always be the most obvious choice.

Before delegating that next project or new department responsibility, take some time to really think it through and plan before you delegate, your people will thank you for it.

If you found this post helpful, pass it on to someone who could benefit from it.

Delegation in Ministry part 1

Don't you wish you could clone yourself, so you could get more stuff done in a day?

I know that I have made that statement countless times in my 28 years on this earth.  I wish I could work on my business and send my clone to do that tech team meeting at the church.  I wish I could workout and have my clone finish up that paper work.  

We all have the same 24 hours in a day to sleep, study, pray, learn, meet people, love our families, accomplish tasks, go to the bathroom (that is longer for some than others), sing, play, workout, twitter,  and just be.

If your life is like mine, then there never seems to be enough time in the day.  I am always one meeting short, or one task away from feeling complete.  I never accomplish everything that I want to.  There is always more to be done for the kingdom of God.

This is where the importance of learning to delegate comes in.  Through delegation, we can multiply our effectiveness and impact on a daily basis.  We can accomplish more than we ever could on our own.

Not only can we accomplish more through delegation but we are also fulfilling the call of a pastor in the New Testament.  We are to "train up and equip the body for works of service in the local church."  Delegation is a God ordained principle, it was not created by Fast Company or Google.  Delegation was God's idea.

So, two huge reasons that we must learn how to delegate effectively are:

1.  We can multiply our impact and contribution to the ethos of our organization and the world.

2.  We encourage and equip others to join us in the greatest journey available in this life, service to God.

Do you struggle with delegation?  Do you fear giving authority to others?  Are you tired of delegating something and then watching it fail?  In the next few days we will be answering these questions and many more on the topic of delegation.

If you know someone who needs to read this, pass it on or link to it.

3rd times the charm

So, we have this new rule at the church. If your late three times in
a quarter you've got mandatory manual labor, as a volunteer. My boy
aus can play a wicked guitar but he can also scrub toilets like no
other. Who said musicians weren't servants?